Phil Mickelson says it is too early to talk about winning The Open, despite retaining top spot at Royal Troon. Mickelson came agonisingly close to breaking major history on his to way to opening up a three-shot lead after day one, before following that up with a two-under 69 in wet conditions on Friday morning to set the clubhouse target.The world No 19 birdied two of his opening seven holes before going inches away from a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth, the infamous Postage Stamp, briefly extending his advantage to five. Open on Sky Ways to watch The Open live on Sky Mickelson then bounced back from a first blemish in 49 holes at the 12th to post a birdie-two at the 14th, only to reduce his cushion at the top of the leaderboard with a dropped shot at the 15th. I thought it was a good round to back up the low round yesterday, Mickelson told reporters. I made one or two bad swings that led to bogeys, but for the most part I kept the ball in play and played kind of stress-free golf.I feel like if I have to get one in the fairway, Ive got a club and a shot that I could do fairly easily and consistently, and that has led to me playing well in the elements today. Mickelson mixed four birdies with two bogeys during his second round Yesterdays round was a big round for me to ultimately keep pace or set the pace, but to not lose too much ground because I felt like these coming three days are the days that Id be best prepared for.The 46-year-old saw his clubhouse advantage cut to just one stroke after Henrik Stensons second-round 65 lifted the Swede to nine under, with Soren Kjeldsen moving to within three shots of the lead thanks to a three-under 68. Mickelson hasnt won a tournament since lifting the Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013 and admits theres still a long way to go before he can consider the possibility of a sixth major title.Weve got a lot of work to do, Mickelson added. Its too far off to start thinking like that, but certainly there is nothing more that I would love to add than another Claret Jug. The American could become the oldest Open winner in 150 years with victory this week I dont feel the pressure like probably a lot of players do to try to win because Ive already won it, and that takes a lot of pressure off.Im starting to hit some shots like I did ten years ago and starting to play some of my best golf again. I dont see why theres any reason why I cant continue that not just this week but for years.Meanwhile, pre-tournament favourite Dustin Johnson is hoping to force his way back into contention for the title on Saturday after three birdies in his final four holes saw him finish on two under, eight shots off the lead. Dustin Johnson is hoping to battle his way into contention over the weekend I went into the gorse on seven, had to re-tee, and same on 11 - hit a good shot but it swirled out of bounds, the 32-year-old American said. Other than that I played really well.Those holes on the back nine are tough, but to birdie 15, 16 and 17 I feel I got a little momentum. I felt like I swung it really well and hit a lot of great shots, so Im looking forward to the weekend.Tomorrow I am going to have to go out and shoot a good score, for sure. I know Ill be off pretty early in front of the leaders. Ive got to go out and post a number. Ive got 36 holes to see how good I am.Watch The Open throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports - your proud new home of The Open Also See: Latest leaderboard Ways to watch The Open The 145th Open LIVE Golf live on Sky Sports Tyson Chandler Jersey . -- John Senden never imagined it would take more than seven years to win again. Kyle Kuzma Jersey . -- Theres something about playing on Orlandos floor lately that seems to bring out the best in the Dallas Mavericks. http://www.lakersteamofficial.com/James-...-Lakers-Jersey/. -- Conner Bleackley got it done in regulation time and in the shootout. Robert Horry Lakers Jersey .Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton each homered and had an outfield assist, and the Braves held on for a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. Magic Johnson Lakers Jersey . Cabrera-Bello shot a 1-over-par 73 and was caught by Webster, who carded 70 at Doha Golf Club for three-round totals of 12-under 204. They were only one stroke ahead of Adrien Saddier of France, the biggest mover with six birdies in his opening seven holes in a round of 64, South African Thomas Aiken (70) and Denmarks Thorbjorn Olesen (68) on a packed leaderboard.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has been given a five-year contract extension through December 2018. MLS said Thursday that Garbers new contract began Jan. 1. The 56-year-old Garber has run MMLS since 1999, when he replaced Doug Logan, the leagues first commissioner.dddddddddddd Garber had spent the previous three years running NFL International. Garbers new deal was first reported by SI.com. ' ' '
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have waived running back Isaac Redman and promoted LB Kion Wilson from the practice squad. Redman began training camp expecting to compete for the starting job but struggled to stay healthy. He managed just 12 yards on 10 carries this season and saw his playing time decrease behind rookie LeVeon Bell and veterans Felix Jones and Jonathan Dwyer. The 28-year-old Redman thrived at times. He ran for 121 yards in a wild card playoff loss to Denver two years ago and finished second on the team with 410 yards in 2012, including a career-high 147-yard effort in a victory over the New York Giants. Redman was placed on the inactive list in each of Pittsburghs past two games. Nike Air Vapormax Run Utility Australia .com) - Jimmy Butler made four key free throws down the stretch to lift the Chicago Bulls over the Boston Celtics, 109-102, on Friday. Nike Air Max Plus Australia . Showing more spark after not taking enough challenging shots on goal in their 1-0 loss Friday night, the Bruins had 18 shots in the first period after managing just 25 in the entire opener. Luke Glendening cut Bostons lead to 2-1 at 13:20 of the second period before Milan Lucic scored late in the second and Zdeno Chara added a power-play goal early in the third. http://www.vapormaxaustraliashoes.com/. Its been a successful Games for Canada, which will finish near the top of the medal standings again. From repeat gold medal winners to multiple medal winners to undefeated teams to acts that define the Olympic spirit, there are many solid candidates who could be considered to receive the honour. Nike Air Vapormax Plus Australia .com) - The St. Nike Air Vapormax Plus Womens Cheap . You can watch the game on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt and listen to the game on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal. After starting the month of November on an 0-3-1 slide, the Canadiens have recorded wins in three of their last five outings (3-1-1).PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil - Substitute Andre Schuerrle and Mesut Ozil scored in extra time and Germany survived Algerias aggressive play with a 2-1 win Monday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the ninth consecutive time. All three goals came in extra time after Algeria dominated for long stretches during the opening 90 minutes. "It was a victory of will power," Germany coach Joachim Loew said. "We had major problems in the first half to organize the way we played. We made simple mistakes, which invited the opponents to start counter attacks." Germany finally took the lead when Thomas Mueller provided a cross from the left flank that was slightly behind Schuerrle. The Germany forward dragged his left leg and backheeled the ball into the far corner in the 92nd minute, leaving goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi with no chance. Ozil added the second in the 120th and substitute Abdelmoumene Djabou pulled one back in injury time for Algeria. Three-time champion Germany will next face 1998 winner France on Friday at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. With the temperature a chilly 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit) and a light rain falling at times, the pace was high at the Estadio Beira-Rio but the goals didnt come until the end. Ozil thought he had put the result out of reach when he pounded in a rebound after a shot from Schuerrle was cleared off the line by defender Esseid Belkalem, but Djabou volleyed in a minute later to make the last seconds count. Perhaps inspired by the "Disgrace of Gijon" at the 1982 World Cup, when Germany and Austria supposedly conspired to oust Algeria in the group stagee, the northern African nation outmatched Germanys intensity for long stretches in an entertaining match.dddddddddddd. Algeria was playing in the second round of the World Cup for the first time and thought it had taken the lead before a goal from Islam Slimani was waved off for offside in the 17th, one of many opportunities for the Algeria striker. At the start of the second half, Germany put Schuerrle on for Mario Goetze in an attacking midfield and came out better organized. In the 55th, Germany captain Philipp Lahm unleashed a hard shot that an outstretched Rais did well to push wide with his fingertips. Still, Algeria continued to produce dangerous counterattacks. In the 72nd, Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to come out of his area to head away the danger with Slimani chasing. In the 88th, Germanys inability to find the target turned theatrical for a moment when Mueller appeared to fall during a free kick. Then the goals came, the rain intensified, and Germany took control. Still, Algeria was cheered by its fans at the final whistle, while the Germany supporters appeared more relieved than content. ___ Germany: Manuel Neuer; Shkodran Mustafi (Sami Khedira, 70), Per Mertesacker, Jerome Boateng, Benedikt Hoewedes; Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger (Christoph Kramer, 109), Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze (Andre Schuerrle, 46); Thomas Mueller. Algeria: Rais Mbolhi; Faouzi Ghoulam, Essaid Belkalem, Rafik Halliche (Madjid Bougherra, 97), Mehdi Mostefa, Aissa Mandi; Medhi Lacen; Islam Slimani, Sofiane Feghouli, Saphir Taider (Yacine Brahimi, 78); El Arabi Hilal Soudani (Abdelmoumene Djabou, 100). ' ' '
Emmanuel Petit has urged Arsenal to scrap their academy policy which he argues is hindering his former clubs progress. The Gunners have seen their quest for silverware suffer a huge blow this week, following consecutive FA Cup and Champions League defeats to Watford and Barcelona.A first Premier League title in 12 seasons is the only trophy available to Arsene Wengers side, although they find themselves 11 points behind leaders Leicester with just nine games to play. And Petit, who has also called for Wenger to step away from the dugout in favour of an advisory position at the Emirates, believes an over-reliance on youth is to blame for the north London clubs failure to win titles consistently in recent years.Arsenals academy policy is very good, up until a certain point - there is a limit, Petit told Sky Sports. There are a lot of players coming from the academy who are good but they have failed to improve over the last three or four years. Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain criticised by former Gunner Emmanuel Petit This has been a big disappointment for me. Players like Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere are constantly injured and they are not improving.They are good, but not that good, that is why they need something else in the dressing room. Could Arsenal make a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Well Arsene Wenger says hes focusing on the end of the season before thinking about signing players Asked what Arsenal were lacking, Petit added: If you want to exceed this limit [of the academy], you have to bring in experienced players - big names, big characters, players with winning mentality.They need to bring leaders into this team. They have quality, no doubt, they have big players but not enough. They need leaders, big characters and players that hate to be beaten and love to win - not only games but titles.With Arsenal burdened by the costs of building the Emirates Stadium over the past decade, the club have arguably been forced to build their academy rather than pursuing big-money signings.However, the acquisition of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in recent seasons, coupled with reports the club have £175m in cash reserves, may suggest a turn in the tide at Arsenal, and Petit wants them to continue spending. Young players have failed to improve at Arsenal, according to Petit There are only two options for Arsenal, Petit added. Either they keep on doing what theyre doing, adding experienced players to the youth coming through, or they use the money they have.In the last few years we have seen Arsenal performing well on the pitch but not winning titles, with the exception two FA Cups.They fail at the final step every time, at this crucial time of the season. That means they need something to improve the closing stages of the season. That, for me, would be spending the money.Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all spending money on top players to improve their team and results.Catch the full interview with Emmanuel Petit live on Soccer Saturday, 12pm, Sky Sports 1 HD Also See: Henry on Arsenal title hopes Wenger plays down Ibra link Everton v Arsenal preview Mersons predictions Air Max Plus Tn Canada . When the Dallas Mavericks needed to stop a Golden State rally in the fourth quarter, they looked for defensive help from the rookie point guard playing in just his sixth game. Vapormax 95 Canada . The attacking midfielder arrives on a free transfer from Spains Malaga. The 28-year-old joins Scottish striker Kenny Miller and Argentine midfielder Matias Laba as designated players on the Whitecaps roster. http://www.airvapormaxcanada.com/. Hollis-Jefferson went 5-for-6 from the field and added six rebounds, while Stanley Jefferson contributed 14 points for the Wildcats, who used their trademark tough defense to dominate the games final 24 minutes and advance to Tuesdays winners bracket matchup with Kansas State. Nike Air Force 1 Just Do It Canada . -- Joe Thornton scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:39 left in regulation to help the San Jose Sharks overcome a two-goal deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on Thursday night. Vapormax Plus Sale .J. -- Kyle Palmieri thrilled his personal rooting section with an overtime winner that sent the Anaheim Ducks to their seventh straight win.MILAN, Italy -- Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has already decided on his final 23-man World Cup squad and has asked the players to prove him right before he reveals who will be going to Brazil. There were few surprises when Italy named its preliminary 30-man squad Tuesday but there will surely be more debate when seven players are cut. "Yes (Ive decided), but I want confirmation from them" Prandelli said in an interview published in Fridays Gazzetta dello Sport. "I havent thought about the starting XI: this will not be a World Cup of 11 players. "We need 23 resources, 23 players who think they will be among the first 11, focused only on the squad. Everyone has to understand they might play only one game. But it might be the game." Prandelli praised Giuseppe Rossi for making the provisional list, despite only just having returned from a four-month injury layoff due to a right knee injury. "I called him up because four and a half months ago, before his injury, he was the top goalscorer in Serie A and remained so for a few weeks after getting injured,"Prandelli said. "Thats a sign that he was doing something extraordinary. "His inclusion is a message for everyone: if you want something and fight and really try for it, you deserve a chance. Rossi is also a champion in his behaviour, that doesnt mean he will definitely be among the 23." Antonio Cassano was also on the list, despite not having played for Italy since helping the Azzurri to a runner-up finish at the 2012 European Championship, and he couldd make his World Cup debut after a fantastic season for Parma.dddddddddddd "When a player manages to redevelop in a positive way and get back in the running it is as if they have cancelled out all the negativity," Prandelli said. "The numbers are the numbers: beyond his pride and his motivation, in scoring and in assists, Cassano was a few yards ahead of the others." Italian media says Cassano is the alternative if Rossi is deemed not fit enough, with Mario Balotelli the only forward assured of his place in the squad. "Nobody is tied to anyone," the Italy coach said. "We will now have 10 days of physical work from which I also expect scientific answers, without having to rely only on feeling. Both could come: Im not ruling out anything." Prandelli also revealed he seriously considered including Francesco Totti, adding "I thought about him, before his injury he had extraordinary statistics. Then the younger players exploded and the future is theirs." Italys first World Cup match is against England on June 14. It also plays Costa Rica and Uruguay in Group D. The Azzurri are aiming for a record-equaling fifth World Cup triumph, two years after surprisingly reaching the final of the European Championship, where it was humiliated 4-0 by Spain. "I havent looked at who our potential opponents could be (in the knockout stages)," Prandelli said. "I know we have to pass the first round and then we have to organize in order to get to the final. I want to go to the final." ' ' '
Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - An official was forced to leave the ice after vomiting during Fridays game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning. The NHL said the game would continue under the three-official system after referee Mike Leggo got sick near the boards during the first period and skated off. Play was stopped for several minutes while the ice was cleaned. Air Force 1 Günstig Kaufen Deutschland . The team let Keaton Ellerby, James Wright and Matt Halischuk become unrestricted free agents after declining to make them qualifying offers. Ellerby, 25, appeared in 51 games for the Jets last season and had two goals and four assists. Nike Huarache Deutschland . Louis Blues are reportedly taking restricted free agent forward Vladimir Sobotka to arbitration. http://www.airforce1gunstig.de/air-force...eutschland.html. -- Hee Young Park topped the leaderboard at 8 under Friday in the suspended second round of the Kingsmill Championship. Nike Air Huarache Deutschland Kaufen . The Henry Burris-led squad finished second in the East Division before advancing to the Grey Cup where they ultimately fell to the home field advantage wielding Saskatchewan Roughriders. Air Force 1 Weiß Deutschland . Rico dove horizontally to meet Andoni Iraolas precise long cross from the right to score his second league goal of the season in the 33rd minute. Two minutes later, Aritz Aduriz netted Bilbaos second when he raced forward and pounced on a poor clearance by Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio, sending a low shot rolling past goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.In this weeks Three-Man Weave, Will Strickland and Duane Watson of TSN 1050s 1 On 1 With Will & Duane are joined by Elias Sbiet, co-captain of North Pole Hoops, a leader in covering Canadian hoop stars at every level, to talk the Sterlings Monopoly Money, who can help keep Melo in Gotham, why the Raptors might go after Bramptons own Tyler Ennis in the Draft and of course, cover issues in the NBA Playoffs. Will this $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers affect the future pricing of NBA team deals? Watson: This is somewhat of an anomaly. It was the second biggest team sale in the history of sport, after the Los Angeles Dodgers went for $2 billion in 2012. Between New York and LA there is no bigger market in sports, which definitely played a factor in price. In addition to the fact this wasnt an owner looking at prospective buyers; it was more of a garage sale with billionaires coming out of the woodwork to bid. Sbiet: There are other teams in the NBA that would have higher bidders, so yes it would affect future pricing. The Lakers are estimated to be worth close to $1 billion, and if the Buss family wanted to sell, there would be potential buyers at their door and the Lakers would be in position to ask for more than $2 billion when considering the rich history. The other factors involved in the sale of a team such as; the citys population, team success and current value would be more compulsory for future pricing. Strickland: No. The expected financial windfall of the Sterlings is based on exigent circumstances, which have been well-documented within multiple media platforms. On top of the fact that the real estate is in a major market and huge free agent/player destination never hurts this price. Dont expect to see numbers like this coming up for a future sale of the Utah Jazz or Cleveland Cavaliers. Its simple geo-economics...and all mathematics. After Tyler Ennis pre-draft workout, do the Toronto Raptors trade up for the hometown point guard? Watson: Tyler Ennis would be a great pick up for any NBA team, hes the best point guard in the Draft. It would only make sense for them to do that if they arent willing to pay Greivis Vasquez or worse not pay Kyle Lowry this summer. Both are concerns, but Ennis has the type of poise that Damian Lillard had when he came in the league and exceeded expectations. Sbiet: In a record setting NBA Draft for Canadians, it would be a smart move for the Raps to keep the basketball culture rolling in this country by adding one to the roster, especially someone as celebrated and accomplished as Ennis. Hes someone you dont have to worry about as management or a coaching staff. Ennis is a true professional that will adapt quickly and earn respect from the team as a leader. On the defensive end his length and continuous development in lateral speed will help against the NBAs explosive guards. Every rookie is going to have to make adjustments coming into the league but Ennis is not one who will struggle to make them. On the other end, if they were to trade up is Ennis the piece they need or are looking for in T.O? Strickland: Depends on circumstance. In our #1On1 Mock Draft here on TSN.ca, I had Tyler going number six to Boston, which is pretty high, but also insurance given the persistent Rajon Rondo trade rumours. There is a feeling that Wheel & Deal Danny Ainge is in business to do business and Masai Ujiri is always looking to protect and serve the Raptors. Ennis would provide Ujiri with a solid contingency in the event either Kyle Lowry or Greivis Vasquez are lost to free agency. Its a long shot, but if the asset management play is right, I roll those dice to put a hometown guy who can be an impact player on my roster. If Carmelo Anthony would "embrace" Mark Jackson as coach, should the New York Knicks try and keep the pending free agent happy? Watson: The Knicks need to make decisions on coaching based on their ball club and not what their star wants. There is no guarantee that Anthony will stay and barring a miracle, the Knicks will have to endure some losses before they get to the winning pedigree of a couple of years ago. They need a coach who can command the locker room, Jackson is that guy, it just shouldnt be predicated on Melo. Sbiet: Im not a fan of the idea of "if" Carmelo embraces Mark Jackson. Yes, Melo is a superstar but superstars are being allowed too much control over management. If he wants to walk then let him go. Jackson could be exactly what New York needs in terms of someone that can get the Knicks personnel on one page. He revived the scene for the Warriors and has built a contending winning culture in the state. Of course theres a lot of pressure if he were to walk into New York, but his rock steady composure translates onto his players and that could make a major difference in his first year. Mark Jacksons record improved gradually to a 51--31 season.dddddddddddd Anthony and the Knicks would be fortunate to land Jackson. Strickland: Mark Jackson should have some sway in the executive offices and the locker room of the Worlds Most Famous Arena. As a well-respected colour commentator turned relatively successful coach and a popular former Rookie of The Year with the Knicks, Jackson has the star power to aid Phil Jackson in having Carmelo stay in Gotham. But they have no real assets, no draft picks, a paucity of keen playmakers and no leadership right now. Would you stay? Bon Voyage, Melo! Who is doing a better coaching job in the Western Conference Finals, Scott Brooks or Gregg Popovich? Watson: In various stretches both, however Scott Brooks adjustments inserting Reggie Jackson into the starting line-up and giving key minutes to Jeremy Lamb, while benching Thabo Sefolosha have paid dividends. Plus, setting a quickened tempo in the game using the fast break on the Spurs old legs, has worked to the Thunders advantage. Sbiet: Pop, but its not a no brainer, utmost respect for Brooks. Coach Popovichs control of substitutions and play calling is an art form of its own. At this point and time the Spurs are executing so well and on many possessions, dissecting OKCs defence, especially in transition. The three games that belong to the Spurs have not just been won, but dominated. Coach Pop injects his bench at key turn around points in the game and his bench responds with major contribution. You know I cant be on here without adding a little Canadian flavour. Lets refer back to that nasty dunk by Corey Joseph after splitting the D. Strickland: Its damn near blasphemous to suggest someone can outcoach Gregg Popovich. I almost slapped myself for pondering. Perish the thought! However, lets give credit where its due. Scott Brooks dug himself and his Thunder team out of its own playoff grave once again by letting go of his fierce loyalty to his starting lineup, pulling Sefolosha for more offence with Reggie Jackson and giving Steven Adams more time in the middle over Kendrick Perkins. It didnt hurt that Brooks may or may not have employed the services of Mr. Miyagis Healing Hands to get PF Serge Ibaka back in the lineup to stop the hemorrhaging of points in the paint and create court comfort for Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to tie the series at two wins apiece. Pop and the Spurs counterpunched deftly in Game 5. Now Brooks has to show and prove once again in Game 6 or else its #TackleBox Season. What happens to Larry Birds Pacers if they lose the Eastern Conference Finals? Watson: Something has to happen, the Pacers havent been right since January. Paul George is a keeper, but after that, do what changes are necessary. This team was built to make it to the NBA Finals, and they havent got over the hump. I like Coach Vogel, but one of his assistants, Nate McMillan, has had experience as a head coach in the NBA if Bird is willing to make a change. Either that, or pray that one of the Big Three leaves Miami. Sbiet: You never know what to expect with the Pacers. Will Hibbert show up? Will they quit their antics and play basketball? The drama thats been surrounding the team means theres been internal affairs that have been lingering. Outside of Frank Vogel, George and Luis Scola most pieces are replaceable or at least worth it for Larry Bird to shop around. The Pacers need a backcourt that can consistently come out and defend teams with serious fire power at the three point line. Strickland: Full scale upheaval, starting with Frank Vogel, who has proven to be a solid coach. But the perceived inability to hold his talented but flawed locker room from strife and turmoil in the midst of fighting for what should have been a singular goal will be considered. He would have not been the man to drive the Pacers past the Miami Heat and into the NBA Finals. The question of re-signing mercurial do-everything guard Lance Stephenson is also at the top of President and GM Larry Birds list. Small market teams are loathe to exceed the salary cap threshold and Indiana, already locked into well over $52 million in cap space next season for four of their starters, face an unenviable situation where Lance will get overpaid for his services. The Where is the Issue: Where does he go and where does all of this leave the Indiana Pacers? It would seem they would be lost in the hinterland of teams like the Cleveland Cavs of the mid-late 80s and Sacramento Kings of the late-90s/early 2000s who were on the cusp of greatness, but always seemed to fall just short in their quest for NBA championship glory. The Three-Man Weave contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane, Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1), Duane Watson (@byDuaneWatson) and guest contributor with an injured calf coming through those locker room doors this week, Elias Sbiet (@Elias_NPH). ' ' '
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Move over, Sid. Step aside, P.K.Theres a new leading vote-getter in the 2015 NHL all-star fan vote and its not one of the usual names. Buffalo Sabres centre Zemgus Girgensons zoomed to the top of the overall leaderboard Tuesday with a whopping 399,356 votes, the NHL said in a release.Subban, the Montreal Canadiens star defenceman, led all blue-liners but fell to second overall with 240,362 votes. Teammate Carey Price led all netminders with 204,923 votes.Girgensons, a 20-year-old Riga native, had 13 points in 24 games entering play Tuesday night. After the first week of voting via the NHLs website and app, Girgensons was a distant 22nd among forwards with 21,059 votes — about one-quarter of Crosbys first-week total (87,858). Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain, dropped to second among forwards and fourth overall with 218,672 votes.Voting concludes Jan. 1, with the top six vote-getters by position — three forwards, two defencemen and one goaltender — locking up spots in the Jan. 25 all-star game in Columbus.Girgensons was selected by the Sabres with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. The six-foot-one 190-pounder played five games for Latvia at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.Entering play Tuesday, the 8-14-2 Sabres were 14th in the 16-team Eastern Conference with 18 points. Trevor Cahill Jersey . But qualifying for her first Scotties Tournament of Hearts after years of falling short in tough Manitoba provincial championships is as good as consolation prizes get for the 29-year-old from Winnipegs Fort Rouge Curling Club. Brian Goodwin Angels Jersey . Its like being on Broadway, everything you do matters. Id want to be good though! I couldnt play here if I wasnt very good. #83217388 / gettyimages. http://www.baseballangelslockroom.com/ro...-angels-jersey/. - The Baltimore Ravens have hired Steve Spagnuolo to be their secondary coach and assistant head coach. Albert Pujols Jersey . -- First baseman Carlos Pena and outfielder Brennan Boesch have signed minor league deals with the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei Ohtani Jersey .com) - James Harden put the Houston Rockets on his back and willed them to an overtime victory on Thursday.TORONTO - Nearly eight years ago, the Raptors took a low-risk chance on an intriguing prospect out of Texas when they used a second-round draft pick to select the position-less P.J. Tucker. Tucker, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound bull, had the build of a power forward trapped in the frame of a shooting guard. By all accounts he was a misfit, destined to end up in the leagues scrapheap with the vast majority of its second-rounders. During his rookie season, Tucker played 21 games for Toronto, bouncing back and forth from the D-League before he was waived by the team less than a year into his NBA journey. After playing in six countries over the next five years, Tucker returned to the league and put up career-highs as a 28-year-old starting for the Phoenix Suns last season. The league has changed and, as a result, so has the need for players that are able to easily adapt. Enter Iowa State senior and Toronto-native Melvin Ejim, who is hoping to hear his named called sometime during the second round in this months draft. Like Tucker and many talented prospects before him, Ejim has been labeled a "tweener" - a hybrid player stuck in between positions as a result of size, strength or skill set. For a long time, the term carried a negative connotation in NBA circles. Who will he defend? How does he fit in? Now its become the norm. Tweeners, combo guards, stretch fours. As teams continue to challenge the defence with smaller, quicker lineups, the NBA is evolving into a league void of prototypical positions. On Thursday, the Miami Heat will begin their pursuit of a third consecutive title led by LeBron James, perhaps the most unique basketball player weve ever seen, capable of playing and guarding four or five positions on the floor at a high level. Last week, Oklahoma City was eliminated in the Western Conference Finals with three point guards on the court together down the stretch of Game 6. The team that ousted them and Miamis opponent in the Finals, the Spurs possess the versatility to match up with almost any style of play, thanks in large part to their versatile wings - Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Boris Diaw. Ultimately, what position you play is less important than the underlying question - can you play? At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Ejim is confident that theres a place for him and his well-rounded game on an NBA team. "I think it depends on how you look at the word tweener," he said following Wednesday mornings pre-draft workout in the Raptors practice facility at the Air Canada Centre. "If you see it as a valuable thing, then I think that I bring a lot of stuff. I think that Im a small forward and I bring versatility to be able to defend bigger guys, I have a strong body that can do a lot of things defensively. Then offensively [Im] versatile, can shoot the ball aand play inside and out.dddddddddddd And if you dont consider those good things, then I guess tweeners a bad thing." Ejim, the Big 12 Conference player of the year, has fully embraced his basketball identity. "Its better than being called a glue guy," he said of the tweener label. "Ive yet to see anyone say, yo, youre a tweener, we dont really do tweeners over here," Ejim joked. "And honestly, its not even about being a tweener, its about being a player. If youre somebody that can go out and play basketball on different levels and play at different positions, then youre valuable, youre a good player." Following Tuesdays auditions, a pair of combo guards, Jordan Clarkson and Nick Johnson - also expected to go in the second round - echoed a similar sentiment. Versatility will also be a valuable commodity when the Raptors make their first-round selection at pick no. 20. UCLAs Kyle Anderson is a point guard in a 6-foot-9 body, athletic Clemson product K.J. McDaniels can defend multiple positions, while NC States T.J. Warren projects as a versatile and unconventional scorer. All three wing players are expected to workout in Toronto later this week. "Its almost a positive in todays game," said Dan Tolzman, director of scouting for the Raptors. "You want the flexibility that if a team goes big against you, you have the ability to just shift guys over a spot and keep your best players out there. I think the same goes the other way. If guys go small, youd like to have perimeter players that can bang down low and can rebound hard when youre in a small ball game. I think its just the progression of the game." Working out alongside fellow Canadian Khem Birch, a Montreal-native out of UNLV, Ejim impressed the Raptors, not only with his versatility and commitment to defence but with his approach, maturity and professionalism. "He came in [wearing] slacks and a nice button-down shirt," Tolzman said of Ejim. "He looked like he was coming to an interview and I think that clearly it resonates with us because this is a professional job interview for these guys." With a couple second-round picks at 37 and 59, the Raptors could consider selecting the hometown product, who would be a welcomed addition within Dwane Caseys system. Although his skill set continues to fly under the radar in a talented, wing-heavy draft class, its not hard to envision him catching on with a team and working his way into a rotation, not unlike Tucker in Phoenix. "His niche in my opinion will be as a defensive player," Tolzman said. "Hes a strong defender and I think the level of intensity he plays with bodes well for guys that focus on defence because when they give their all, they impact the game somehow, even if their shots not there." ' ' '
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte City Council in North Carolina has voted for an agreement to forgive more than $22 million in debt from the NASCAR Hall of Fame.Multiple media outlets reported that council members voted Monday for the agreement with Bank of America, Wells Fargo and NASCAR.Charlotte will pay the banks $5 million. They will write off nearly $18 million in debt.NASCAR will give up more than $3 million in royalties that it has been owed since the hall opened in 2010. The hall of fame has not been able to pay the royalties because it has lost more than $1 million each year.Attendance has been far less than expected. The hall was expected to attract about 400,000 visitors each year. Last year attendance was about 170,000. Kwon Alexander Womens Jersey .Brazil midfielder Ricardo Goulart scored the winner in the 50th minute to give the defending champion a four-point advantage in the standings over second-place Sao Paulo, which beat rival Palmeiras 2-0. Nick Bosa Jersey .m. on Friday. Granger was acquired from the Indiana Pacers last Thursday for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen, but never played a minute for Philadelphia. The 76ers also received a 2015 second-round draft pick in the deal. http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Yout...t-49ers-Jersey/. Alexander was released last week by the Edmonton Eskimos, where he spent the past three seasons at safety. He had 121 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles and seven interceptions in 51 regular-season and three playoff games. Roger Craig Youth Jersey . Beckham finished 2 for 4, adding a double in the first inning. Chicago has won eight of 12 to get back to .500 (27-27). The White Sox are 6-3 against Cleveland this season after losing 17 of 19 to their American League Central rival in 2013. Mike Aviles went 1 for 2 with a walk and drove in Clevelands run. Solomon Thomas Jersey .Dawson also birdied two of the last four holes to reach 12-under 132 on TPC San Antonios AT&T Canyons Course. He won his only title in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in 2002 in the Web.com Tours LaSalle Bank Open.Im not going to lose any sleep, believe me, Dawson said. I used to be a perfectionist, but my attitude now is to play like Im in the pro-am.Bowling Green, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - George Fant picked up a game-best double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead Western Kentucky to a 72-65 win over No. 25 Old Dominion. Chris Harrison-Docks totaled 19 points and T.J. Price added 15 points for the Hilltoppers (10-5, 3-0 C-USA), winners of five in a row.dddddddddddd. Trey Freeman poured in 20 points for the Monarchs (13-2, 2-1), whose 10-game win streak came to a halt. Jonathan Arledge added nine and six boards for the visitors. ' ' '
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Mark Calcavecchias 8-foot closing putt for birdie put him in a better mood and sole possession of the second-round lead in the Regions Tradition at Shoal Creek. Calcavecchia insisted that only the first benefit was meaningful. He shot his second straight 3-under 69 on Friday to reach 6 under and take a one-stroke lead over Jay Haas at the Champions Tour major. Haas had a 70 after they came in as part of a four-way tie in the major championship. Haas missed a 4-footer on No. 18 to give Calcavecchia a shot at the solo lead at the midway point. Calcavecchia said finishing with a birdie improves his mood, lead or no lead. "It really doesnt matter, other than the fact that Im happier that I made the putt on the last hole, made the 8-footer for birdie as opposed to missing it," said Calcavecchia, who is seeking his first Champions Tour win since the 2012 Montreal Championship. "Sixty-nine sounds better than 70, it always has. "It always feels good to birdie the last hole. Leading as opposed to being tied for the lead, that makes no difference whatsoever to me." It was the highest score for a 36-hole leader at the Tradition since J.C. Snead was 6 under at Desert Mountain in 1996. The 36-hole leader has only won one of the last nine majors on the 50-and-over tour, with the exception being Mark Wiebe last year in the Senior British Open. Calcavecchias main concern is a rib problem he aggravated late in Thursdays round, leading to upper back spasms. He said it began flaring up again after swings starting on No. 14 Friday. "Its like a delayed reaction, then it kind of goes away," he said. Kenny Perry and Olin Browne were 4 under. Perry had a 68, and Browne shot 71. Browne was part of the first-round logjam along with Chien Soon Lu, who shot a 77. Haas birdied the first four holes, and Calcavecchia had three birdies on the first six holes. "I didnt put myself into a lot of bad positions," Haas said. "Being 4 under after four was kind of a dream start and it kind of slowly got away from me. But I like my position. I feel pretty good about my situation going into the weekend." He bogeyed No. 5 after landing in the bunker and then three-putted No. 15 for another bogey. Haas followed that with a 35-footer for birdie on No. 16. Calcavecchia also had a bogey on the 15th hole after having a bad lie about 10 yards right of the green. He chipped it some 15 feet past the hole. Calcavecchia said he started his round knowing Haas had gotten off to a good start and that Tom Pernice Jr. -- who finished with a 70 and was four strokes back -- had also opened with four straight birdies. Beyond that, he said hes not a scoreboard watcher. "Theres no point in really looking at this stage," Calcavecchia said. "Youre just trying to play the course and make as many birdies as possible and pars. Still a long way to go. If it was a three-rounder like most of our regular tournaments, it would be a little different story maybe. But were only halfway done." Haas takes a different approach. "I look at scoreboards all the time," he said. "I like seeing my name up there and seeing whats going on and all that. Its such a long race and theres so much golf left to be played that Im not too concerned about one shot here and there. You hate to throw any shots away obviously, but Im still feeling pretty good about where I am." Perry had three birdies on the final nine holes and was already looking forward to Round 3. "Saturdays the rocking chair day as I call it, and Ive got to make my move on that day," said Perry, who also had two bogeys. "I need to shoot another one of these or a little better to get back into it for Sunday." Defending champion David Frost was five strokes back and two-time winner Tom Lehman was six away from the lead. Both had 71s. Fred Couples was 7 over after a 77. Harmon Killebrew Jersey . Roma has a game in hand but now second place is even at risk for the capital side as Napoli moved to within three points with the win. "The result is not always fair," Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. "If we play like this until the end we will win many matches. Willians Astudillo Twins Jersey . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. http://www.twinssale.com/twins-mitch-garver-jersey/. "Last year didnt go the way we wanted it to, but we need to look at what went well and what didnt go so well. Hopefully this year we will be better," Brendan Gallagher said after practice. This year, the Canadiens have a little more depth to work with by adding players like Daniel Briere, Dale Weise, Mike Weaver, Douglas Murray and arguably, the biggest addition to this playoff roster, Thomas Vanek, who the Canadiens were able to land at the trade deadline. Willians Astudillo Jersey .C. -- Jackson Whistle made 26 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Kelowna Rockets blanked the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-0 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Byron Buxton Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington.MINNEAPOLIS - Hours before Phoenix completed its biggest comeback of the season, coach Jeff Hornacek said the Suns needed to approach each remaining game as their last if they wanted to make the playoffs. The Suns played more desperately than Minnesota on Sunday and inched closer to the Western Conferences final playoff spot. They also delivered a serious blow to the Timberwolves fading post-season hopes. Markieff Morris scored 25 points as the Suns overcame a 22-point deficit and a near triple-double by Kevin Love to beat the Wolves 127-120 and move within a half game of eighth-place Memphis. "Weve had a few of those, havent we?" Hornacek said. "Im always proud of the way they come back at the end of games, they never give up. We were playing horribly for a half, maybe partway into the third quarter and somehow they ended up pulling that game out." While Hornacek lamented his teams tendencies to start slow, the Suns were fortunate the Wolves — who fell six games behind Phoenix — have a habit of starting strong before fading. Now the Suns are hoping the Wolves psyche can recover in time to put up big points again when they play at Memphis on Monday. Phoenix, meanwhile, continues its road trip in Atlanta. "If we want to be contenders and be in the playoffs, we got to start showing it by winning these kind of games," P.J. Tucker said. "We came out and played in the second half." Phoenixs bench outscored Minnesotas 61-20, and the Suns shot a season-high 57 per cent from the floor to overcome Loves 36 points and 14 rebounds. The Wolves All-Star forward fell an assist short of a triple double and committed a crucial turnover in the final minute. With the game tied at 118, Love lost the ball in the paint and Eric Bledsoe made a fast-break layup. Gerald Green, Bledsoe and Tucker each hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds. "If we start out the ggame like that wed probably be up 20," Bledsoe said.dddddddddddd The Suns tied a season high by allowing 41 points in the first quarter and trailed 103-93 heading in the final period, but they outscored the Wolves 34-17 in the fourth. Minnesota, meanwhile, blew its largest lead of the season. "That was our playoffs right there, and we lost. So this one hurts a lot more than the others," a visibly frustrated Love said. The Wolves scored a season-high 73 first-half points — they needed every one of them because the Suns shot 61 per cent and still found themselves trailing by 11 at halftime. Minnesota built its early lead thanks to a 14-0 first-quarter run fueled by a balanced offence. Every Wolves player who checked in scored. But Morris shot Phoenix back into the game with 15 points in the second quarter on 6 for 8 shooting. "We shouldve won that game, plain and simple," Love said. Phoenix has won five of its last six. Bledsoe had 21 points for the Suns, Tucker had 19 and Goran Dragic 18. The Suns won for only the fifth time when trailing after three quarters. "Im so tired of doing that," Tucker said. "We get 20-25 down and its like, lets play. Its unreal." Notes: Kevin Martin had 25 points for the Wolves. . The officials hit Phoenix with four technical fouls, including one on assistant coach Mike Longabardi. . Crews scrambled to prepare the court after Target Center hosted the National Collegiate Hockey Conference championship game Saturday night. They didnt have enough time to remove the ice, so they constructed the court above it for Sundays game. . Wolves G J.J. Barea scored two points in his first game since spraining his left foot in Thursdays loss to Houston. Barea was questionable heading into the game but told coach Rick Adelman he felt better after warming up Sunday. . The Wolves have scored 30 points in the first quarter five straight games. ' ' '
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to snap a lengthy losing streak to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night when the clubs meet for the second time this season. The Lightning visited the Penguins last Monday as part of a five-game road trip and lost a 4-2 decision despite Pittsburgh playing without captain Sidney Crosby due to the mumps. But the Pens got goals from four different skaters and Marc-Andre Fleury posted 28 saves as Pittsburgh defeated Tampa Bay for the 10th time in a row. The Lightning have not beaten the Penguins since Nov. 17, 2011 and have lost the past four at home in this series. Bolts goaltender Ben Bishop suffered a lower-body injury and exited that game versus the Penguins early. He has missed all three games Tampa Bay has played since, but is nearing a return. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, though, listed his goaltender as doubtful to questionable for tonight even tough Bishop wants to play after practicing Monday. Hes just getting back, Cooper told his teams website. He, by his own account, is not 100 percent, so if thats going to leave a little bit of doubt, then well see where hes at (Tuesday). Rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy has started twice in the three games Bishop has missed and could start again tonight. He made 23 saves on 24 shots faced to win his NHL debut last Tuesday versus Philadelphia, then turned aside 45 shots in a 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday. Vasilevskiy was in position to secure his first career shutout, but instead allowed a pair of goals just 12 seconds apart late in the third period, and the Islanders tacked on an empty-net goal. Brett Connolly had the lone goal for the Lightning, who went 1-3-1 on their road trip and have lost six of their past eight overall. We know we havent played our best on this road trip, Connolly said. There are no excuses. Defenseman Jason Garrison suffered an undisclosed injury versus the Islanders and is doubtful for tonight. The Penguins look to rebound tonight after having a three-game winning streak snapped with last nights shootout loss to Florida. The Pens beat a visiting Panthers team on Saturday to begin a home-and-home set, but Floridas Aleksander Barkov had the deciding tally in a seven-round shootout on Monday. After Simon Despres had his chance deflected away by Roberto Luongo to open the final round, Barkov faked a move from forehand-to-backhand up the middle and casually flipped a shot past Fleury. Patric Hornqvist, Nick Spaling and Evgeni Malkin lit the lamp for the Penguins, and Fleury stopped 34 shots. We didnt get a lot of shots through, Crosby said. Pittsburgh continues to be short-handed due to injury and illness. Forwards Beau Bennett, Pascal Dupuis, Zach Sill and Scott Wilson, and defensemen Robert Bortuzzo, Christian Ehrhoff, Paul Martin and Olli Maatta are all out with injury. Forward Blake Comeau, meanwhile, left last nights game in the third period due to injury. Also, the Penguins sent forwards Brandon Sutter and Steve Downie along with backup goaltender Thomas Greiss back to Pittsburgh to be tested for the mumps. Pittsburgh recalled goaltender Jeff Zatkoff from the American Hockey League, but with the club off until Saturday following this contest due to the Christmas break, Fleury could start again tonight. Fleury is 16-10-3 lifetime versus Tampa Bay with a 2.38 goals against average and .912 save percentage. Curtis Martin Jets Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Keyshawn Johnson Youth Jersey . "Yes, Id like to get them in," Detroits rookie manager said. "Mother Natures going to have a say in that." Sure enough, the Tigers had their game against the Kansas City Royals postponed because of rain on Thursday. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Joe-Klecko-Jersey/. -- Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson couldnt hear himself amid the roar in Koch Arena, so he kept stomping on the floor in a fruitless attempt to get his teams attention. Keyshawn Johnson Jersey .com) - The Carolina Hurricanes placed defenseman John-Michael Liles on injured reserve Tuesday. Chuma Edoga Womens Jersey .Y. - Major League Soccers independent review panel has taken back the fine and one-game suspension it placed on Toronto FC forward Luke Moore earlier this week.OTTAWA - Canadas highly paid Olympic mens hockey professionals are insured against acts of terrorism when they compete in the Sochi Games but it is not at all clear the same coverage extends to their amateur brethren on the Olympic team. As for regular Olympic spectators, theyre being warned that most travel insurance policies wont cover acts of terrorism or war. The Games in southern Russia, which run from Feb. 7-23, are being staged amid unprecedented security and under global warnings of danger. An extraordinary travel advisory from the Canadian government highlights Sochi terrorist threats in bold red script. "In July 2013 Imarat Kavkaz leader Doku Umarov called on militants to derail the Sochi Olympic Games using any necessary means, and lifted his previous moratorium on actions of militants in Russia outside the North Caucasus," states the governments travel advisory page. "On January 19, 2014, the Ansar Al-Sunna terrorist group took responsibility for the December 2013 attacks on Volgograd ... and threatened further attacks if the Olympic Games were to take place." Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney reinforced the message last week by issuing a statement warning that special security at Olympic venues "does not eliminate the risk of terrorist attacks." Such government warnings wont likely make a travellers insurance void, says John Thain, president of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada. Only an outright government advisory not to travel in a country or region may void travel insurance, he said. But check the fine print on terrorism because most policies dont cover it, he added. "One of the messages were trying to get across to all Canadians is know and understand your policy," Thain told The Canadian Press. It is advice that should apply to athletes attending in the Games as well. The Canadian Olympic Committee, which handles insurance for most of the Canadians competing in Sochi, flatly rebuffed questions about its insurance coverage. "Internal matters including HR (human resources) and administrative policies for employees, athletes and mission team members are simply not subjects we discuss publicly," the committee told The Canadian Press in an email statement. Agent Kris Mychasiw, who represents bobsled Olympian Kaillie Humphries, said all the terrorism talk is "being blown out of proportion." &"London had the same issue.dddddddddddd Athens had the same issue," said Mychasiw. Asked whether Canadas Olympians are insured against a career-ending injury caused by an act of terrorism, Mychasiw responded "to my knowledge, no." "Even if you were to get insurance for it, the odds of something like that happening, or being in an environment where that would happen, are slim to none," said the agent. Thats not the tack taken by National Hockey League and its players association. Greg Sutton of Sutton Special Risk, which insures more than 450 profession hockey players including Sydney Crosby, said hes taken a number of calls from concerned players and their agents in the run-up to Sochi. "All of our policies actually include terrorism, but what they arent covered for is any acts of terrorism which use nuclear, chemical or biological means," Sutton said in an interview. Bob Nicholson, the president of Hockey Canada, said group insurance for Olympic pros was handled through the International Ice Hockey Federation. That was part of the agreement for getting the pros to Sochi, said Nicholson. Sutton said some players have asked to include the extra nuclear-chemical-biological coverage, known as NCB, and that adds about 10 to 15 per cent to the premium. Other players are also taking out additional personal insurance. "There are players who are still young enough that theres a need for them to protect their future value, too, and thats where the personal coverage comes in. We do both." Sutton said Hockey Canada inquired about adding NCB but hes not sure if it ended up taking the extra coverage. Any difference between insuring Canadas amateur Olympians and the NHL pros comes down to a business decision based on guaranteed, multi-million-dollar contracts, said Mychasiw. "The NHL is taking precautions because thats a money-making business. Theyre looking at protecting their assets, from the NHL Players Association right up to the league." On Monday, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that a British government intelligence report warns that more terrorist attacks in Russia are "very likely to occur" before or during the Sochi Games. The BBC reports that the leaked assessment says Sochi itself may be difficult to attack due to massive Russian security operations. With files from Joshua Clipperton. ' ' '
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Colorado Avalanche will try to rebound on Saturday night with a fourth straight home victory over the Dallas Stars as the two Central Division rivals clash at Pepsi Center. Saturday marks the first of five meetings this season between the clubs and the Avalanche went 4-1-0 in the 2013-14 series. Colorado netted nine goals in the two meetings in Denver and have won 10 of the last 14 versus Dallas at home. The Avalanche were denied a third straight victory overall with a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. Ryan OReilly and Max Talbot scored in defeat as the Hawks netted the game-winning goal with 5:17 to play. Calvin Pickard stopped 42 shots in his second career NHL start as Colorado went 0-for-2 on the power play, while Chicago scored twice on six chances up a man. It was a great effort tonight, but it would have been nice if we had more power plays, said Avalanche forward Alex Tanguay, who returned to the lineup after missing two games with a facial fracture. When we were 5-on-5, we played them even. Defenseman Erik Johnson was unable to play on Wednesday because of an upper- body injury, but could return for this game. Center John Mitchell, meanwhile, could suit up for the first time in four games because of a leg ailment. Pickard is expected to start again tonight over Reto Berra as No. 1 goaltender Semyon Varlamov remains out with a groin issue. Varlamov could return to the active roster next week. Pickard, though, is making a case to stay as the backup, going 2-3-0 with a 2.24 goals against average and .933 save percentage in five games with two starts this season. Dallas had a three-game winning streak snapped Friday by visiting Minnesota, but head coach Lindy Ruff was pleased with the way his team rallied for a point in the 5-4 overtime loss. The Wild led 3-0 after Mikael Granlunds goal at 11:47 of the second period, but Dallas scored four unanswered to take the lead. Tyler Seguin recorded his league-leading 18th goal of the season during the comeback, which also featured markers from Alex Goligoski, Erik Cole and Ales Hemsky. Thomas Vanek, however, would get the equalizer for Minnesota with just 1:52 remaining in regulation and Marco Scandella tallied the winner 2:04 into the extra session. Seguin also added an assist in the loss, while Kari Lehtonen stopped 29-of-34 shots. We battled for a point, which is awesome, Ruff said. The Stars are opening a three-game road trip tonight and are 5-4-0 as the guest this season. Dallas also will visit Toronto and Detroit on the swing. Vapormax Pas Cher .C. -- The shot that would have beaten No. Vapormax Flyknit Noir 2020 . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. http://www.vapormaxsolde.fr/basket-vapor...rossiste.html.Y. - The New York Islanders are brimming with confidence these days, thanks to a standout goalie and a newfound winning attitude. Faux Vapormax Pas Cher .com) - Manchester City will face a steep test in the Champions League knockout stage as the English champions were drawn with Barcelona on Monday. Vapormax Nere Pas Cher . TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted that its believed the Flames are working towards a new contract with the defenceman.Johnson took to twitter after the game to congratulate the Canadiens on the win, and even commented on the arena atmosphere. Very good game RT @CanadiensMTL: . @ochocinco Didnt expect that, right? #NHL15Subban — Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) May 28, 2014 Atmosphere is crazy, a tad bit different from the Panthers game I attend. RT @JoeAnthony13: @oochocinco how you enjoying the game? — Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) May 28, 2014 If youre unfamiliar with Johnsons work… child please… but if youre actually unfamiliar with his work, a few of his more notorious moments can be found in the video below.dddddddddddd Warning: the video below contains expletive language. ' ' '
CROMWELL, Conn. -- Ryan Moore is in contention in the Travelers Championship -- again. Moore had an eagle and two birdies Saturday in a bogey-free 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Aaron Baddeley into the final round. "This is a tournament I really want to win and I know its a tournament I can win," said Moore, who has four top-10 finishes in eight starts in the event. The 31-year-old Moore had a 13-under 197 total at TPC River Highlands after opening with rounds of 63 and 68. He won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia at the start of the season in October for his third PGA Tour title. "Today was a great examples of It doesnt have to be pretty to shoot a great golf score," Moore said. "I honestly didnt feel great all day hitting the ball, but drove it well enough to kind of keep myself out of trouble." Moore eagled the par-5 sixth, holing a 37-foot putt from just off the green, to take the lead early in the afternoon. He has made one eagle in each of his three rounds this week. The eagle on No. 6 was something of a lucky break, Moore says, as his drive was off target. "I hit it right off the tee, quite a bit right and straight into the trees, which is not a good place to be, and obviously walking up I did not think I was going to have a shot at all," Moore said. "Just planned on pitching out almost sideways with the way the rough is. And apparently got a really good bounce and chased way down the cart path, and I was actually still sitting on the edge of the cart path and I was only maybe 230 yards out. So it had gotten pretty far down there." Moore chipped in for a birdie on No. 11 to move to 12 under and break a four-way tie for the lead. No one who has held a share of the third-round lead has won the Travelers since Stewart Cink in 2008. Baddeley had six birdies and a bogey in a 65. "Around here you feel like you should birdie every hole. There are a lot of birdie holes out there," said Baddeley, the Australian who won the last of his three PGA Tour titles in 2011. "But you have to be patient." Sergio Garcia, K.J. Choi, Scott Langley and Michael Putnam were tied for third at 11 under. Garcia had a 65, Choi shot 69, Langley 70 and Putnam 69. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., shot 71 and was tied for 67th place. Garcia has five top-10 finishes in nine PGA Tour starts this season, and won the European Tours Qatar Masters in January. "Its been a solid season so far," Garcia said. "Theres no question Id like to have played better at the Masters and last week (at the U.S. Open)." Masters champion Bubba Watson was nine strokes back after a 67. He won in 2010 at River Highlands. Former Stanford star Patrick Rodgers, making his pro debut, was 4 under after a 71. Defending champion Ken Duke was 2 under after a 71. Nike Vapormax Plus Rebajas . Just ask last seasons Supporters Shield winners, the New York Red Bulls, who were resoundingly defeated last weekend by a rampant Vancouver Whitecaps in a match which produced two contenders for MLS Goal of the Week from Sebastian Fernandez and Pedro Morales. Vapormax Flyknit 3 Hombre . For the Bombers it has been a combination of things coming together at the most inappropriate moments in time. Quarterback, injuries, Canadian talent or depth and leadership are all issues. Trust me when I say being a Bomber is no fun right now in a city that embraces football the way Winnipeg does. While Buck Pierce will be getting another shot, I think Max Hall does deserve another opportunity. http://www.vapormaxbaratas.com/air-max-t...nta/hombre.html. The Leafs were back on the ice Wednesday following an 10-day break. It apparently wasnt long enough, as Team Canadas 2-1 win over Latvia didnt conclude before the Leafs began practice. "I was thinking we might get a little delay, but it was nice to get out there," said Tyler Bozak of watching Wednesdays game. Vapormax Baratas . INJURIES - Cardinals 1B Matt Adams has been put on the DL with calf tightness, resulting in some lineup shifting, with Allen Craig moving from right field to first base, so that the Cardinals could bring up top prospect Oscar Taveras, who was the No. Zapatillas Nike Just Do It Negras . 1. Did the Senators trade the wrong goalie? Lets make one thing clear: The Ottawa Senators acquired Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues for one reason and one reason alone.2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey scoring leaders: ' ' '
Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Sky Bet League Two play-off semi-final at Fratton Park on Thursday night. A first-half brace by Argyle striker Jamille Matt had sent the visitors 2-1 in at the break after Marc McNultys early opener. But - with Pompey boss Paul Cook watching on from the stands after a first-half sending-off - a Gary Roberts penalty levelled things up after the interval.The result leaves the tie on a knife-edge going into the second leg at Home Park on Sunday evening. Portsmouth went into their first play-off since 1993 without regular defenders Adam Webster and Kieron Freeman, but were able to call upon the services of creative players Kyle Bennett and McNulty after the duo both passed late fitness tests.And goalkeeper Ryan Allsop was given special dispensation by the Football League to sign for the club on an emergency loan from Bournemouth, going straight into the starting line-up on the day that he arrived at Fratton Park. Jamille Matt insisted the first-half flashpoint involving Michael Doyle was just handbags Argyle, who finished three points above their opponents in the league, welcomed back Carl McHugh after a hamstring injury, but started the game with forward Reuben Reid on the substitutes bench after he failed to prove his fitness in time to start.Pompey had scored the opening goal in each of the previous three league meetings between these teams, and it took Cooks side just three minutes to continue that streak. Argyle captain Curtis Nelson gave the ball away in a dangerous area after trying to play out from the back, and McNulty took advantage by firing a long-range effort past a wrong-footed Luke McCormick. Plymouth Argyles Jamille Matt celebrates after scoring his sides first goal at Fratton Park But the lead lasted just six minutes as Allsop failed to cover himself in glory on his Pompey debut, unable to gather a looping Gregg Wylde header to allow Pilgrims centre-forward Matt to nod home through a crowd of bodies inside the six-yard box.And Matt was in the thick of the action again as he got himself involved in an altercation with midfielder Danny Hollands and Pompey captain Doyle after an innocuous challenge on halfway. Jamille Matt scored an impressive bicycle kick in the League 2 Play-off game between Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle None of the officials saw the incident, but the confrontation enraged the two benches, leading to both Portsmouth manager Paul Cook and Argyle assistant Paul Wotton being sent to the stands by referee Oliver Langford.Matt will face a nervous wait to see if there is any retrospective action taken over his clash with Doyle, but the forward made the most of his reprieve when he cushioned a long throw-in, before flicking a stunning overhead-kick beyond Allsop to make it 2-1 to the visitors after ten minutes.Bennett struck the post for Portsmouth as the first half continued to produce chances at both ends, but it took just six minutes of the second half for the home side to draw level. Peter Hartley hauled down McNulty right on the edge of the box and the referee awarded a penalty that Roberts duly dispatched. Robert Woods Rams Jersey . It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports. Jared Goff Youth Jersey .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night. http://www.laramsfootballshops.com/torry-holt-jersey/. Canada will host the second stop on the circuit, the 2014 Skate Canada International in Kelowna, British Columbia from October 31 - November 2, 2014 at Prospera Place. Darrell Henderson Rams Jersey . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. Taylor Rapp Jersey . This is Lowry’s third time winning the award in his career. He won the award last season and as a member of the Houston Rockets in 2011. RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks have signed offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre and safety Jeron Johnson to one-year contract extensions, and given restricted free agent wide receiver Doug Baldwin a second-round tender. Terms of the deals for Jeanpierre and Johnson were not announced on Friday. Both were restricted free agents. The two signed deals are secondary to the situation with Baldwin. The second-round tender means Baldwin would be paid about $2.1 million for the 2014 season if he signs it. He could also reach a long-term deal with the Seahawks or sign with another team. If he were to sign with another club, Seattle would be compensated with a second-round pick. Baldwin has been one of Seattles top receivers in two of his three NFL seasons. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Stanford, Baldwin caught 51 passes as a rookie and had another 50 grabs last season along with a career-high five touchdowns in the regular season.dddddddddddd Baldwin had 13 catches in the post-season and a touchdown catch in the Super Bowl. Jeanpierre has proved a vital backup for the Seahawks with the flexibility to play both centre and guard on the offensive line. Jeanpierre made three starts at centre last season when Max Unger was out with injuries. He played in all 16 games during the regular season. Johnson was an undrafted free agent out of Boise State who found a role as a backup with the Seahawks. He has played mostly on special teams in his time with the Seahawks while backing up starting strong safety Kam Chancellor. ' ' '
As the March 5th trade deadline nears, there are only a couple of Western Conference teams (both based in Alberta) out of the playoff race, which means a lot can change before the deadline actually arrives. Scott Cullen presents the 2014 Trade Deadline Playbook for the Western Conference. There is greater depth at the top of the Western Conference, however, which could lead to something of an arms race as St. Louis, Chicago, Anaheim and San Jose each have at least 80 points, Colorado is at 79 and even Los Angeles, well back with 68, has been a contender in recent seasons, so theyre not likely to go quietly without doing something either. Dallas is clinging to the final playoff spot at the moment, with 64 points, but there are still four others within four points, so there is some sorting to do before teams make their final call whether they are pushing their chips into the middle to go all-in, or folding for another season. A couple of notes about the following chart: Restricted Free Agents (RFA) have contracts that expire this summer, barring a contract extension in the meantime, but their current team retains the right to match a contract offer so long as they make the requisite qualifying offer. While restricted free agents havent moved a lot, its worth noting when decision time is coming on a young players contract. Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA) have contracts that will expire this summer and, without a contract extension, they will be free to sign with whatever team they choose on July 1. These are the players that often move in "rental"-type deals, ideally providing a short-term fix with minimal commitment required. Top prospects are the top five players in each organization. Other top prospects or those that are now with the NHL team may be listed among other players of interest. Contending teams may be more likely to dangle a top prospect or two as they try to find that final piece for their playoff mix, while its safe to assume that young and rebuilding teams arent going to move top prospects unless they get a significant long-term piece in return. Other players of interest will include additional prospects as well as players under contract for future seasons that may have some level of attractiveness on the trade market. IMPORTANT: Just because a player is listed as being of interest, it doesnt mean he will be traded or should be traded. Some may just be of interest for teams looking to hit a home run when trying to swing a deal or they are players that may be considered to be underachieving for the money they are due over the rest of their contract. Generally, then, heres a rough guide for which players each Western Conference team might have at their disposal in order to make a trade leading up to the deadline. The Eastern Conference Playbook can be viewed here. ANAHEIM DUCKS UFA in 2014: Saku Koivu, Dustin Penner, Teemu Selanne, Daniel Winnik, Tim Jackman, Jonas Hiller. RFA in 2014: Mathieu Perreault, Jakob Silfverberg, Sami Vatanen. Top Prospects: John Gibson, G, Norfolk (AHL)Emerson Etem, LW, Norfolk (AHL)Rickard Rakell, C, Norfolk (AHL)Shea Theodore, D, Seattle (WHL)Nicolas Kerdiles, C, Wisconsin (WCHA) Others of Interest: Kyle Palmieri, Matt Beleskey, Patrick Maroon, Bryan Allen, Luca Sbisa, Devante Smith-Pelly, William Karlsson, Jesse Blacker, Kevin Roy. No-Trade Clauses: Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne, Sheldon Souray (modified), Francois Beauchemin (modified). The Plan: Its been a tremendous year to this point, but Ducks have relied quite a bit on their supporting cast so it would be entirely understandable if they might want to raise the bar by adding a left winger to play with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the top line. If the Ducks are bona fide Cup contenders, and with more points than any other team in the league thats the position they pretty much have to take, they could bolster their blueline with another top-four calibre defenceman too. Working in the Ducks favour, if they are prepared to add before the deadline, is that they have enough prospects and young pros that can be included to make those kinds of deals happen. G Jonas Hiller has been mentioned at various times this season as a trade candidate, but with Viktor Fasth injured for most of the year, that hasnt been a viable option, yet this is a team that has so much depth that they havent been able to find regular playing time for Emerson Etem and Devante Smith-Pelly, so there should be some flexibility up front. CALGARY FLAMES UFA in 2014: Mike Cammalleri, Lee Stempniak, Kevin Westgarth, Chris Butler, Reto Berra. RFA in 2014: T.J. Galiardi, Paul Byron, Joe Colborne, Lance Bouma. Top Prospects: John Gaudreau, LW, Boston College (HE)Jon Gillies, G, Providence (HE)Sven Baertschi, LW, Abbotsford (AHL)Markus Granlund, LW, Abbotsford (AHL)Emile Poirier, LW, Gatineau (QMJHL) Others of Interest: David Jones, Ladislav Smid, Joni Ortio, Max Reinhart, Corban Knight, Morgan Klimchuk, Tyler Wotherspoon. No-Trade Clauses: Mike Cammalleri (limited), Matt Stajan (modified), Curtis Glencross, Dennis Wideman, Mark Giordano. The Plan: Its been a tough year for the Flames, but that makes it easy enough to set sights on next season. Building for the future is the priority so at least a couple veterans should be moved out so that Calgary can acquire assets that will be part of the long-term solution. Without a new GM to replace the fired Jay Feaster, team president Brian Burke will be making the calls leading up to the deadline, a day that he has decried as the source for many GM mistakes. Of course, if one GM makes a mistake, then that would be another general managers good fortune, right? In any case, once the Flames move out a couple of pending free agents, there should be opportunities for some late-season auditions and the Flames have some prospects that are ready for a look. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS UFA in 2014: Michal Handzus, Brandon Bollig, Peter Regin, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Sheldon Brookbank, Mike Kostka, Nikolai Khabibulin, Jason LaBarbera. RFA in 2014: Ben Smith, Antti Raanta Top Prospects: Teuvo Teravainen, C, Jokerit (SML)Kevin Hayes, C, Boston College (HE)Jeremy Morin, LW, Rockford (AHL)Brandon Pirri, C, Rockford (AHL)Mark McNeill, C, Rockford (AHL) Others of Interest: Kris Versteeg, Marcus Kruger, Ryan Hartman, Adam Clendening. No-Trade Clauses: Patrick Sharp (modified), Bryan Bickell (modified), Michal Handzus, Brent Seabrook (limited), Duncan Keith, Johnny Oduya (modified), Michal Rozsival. The Plan: The Blackhawks already added to their forward depth, at virtually no cost, getting Regin and Bouchard from Islanders and dont have to make dramatic moves to have a legitimate chance to defend their title. Theres still a reasonable argument to be made that the Blackhawks could use a better second-line centre, but they won with Michal Handzus logging those minutes last year, so its not as though they cant press forward with what they already have in-house. COLORADO AVALANCHE UFA in 2014: Paul Stastny, John Mitchell, Marc-Andre Cliche, Cory Sarich, Andre Benoit, Matt Hunwick, Jean-Sebastien Giguere. RFA in 2014: Ryan OReilly, Jamie McGinn, Tyson Barrie. Top Prospects: Joey Hishon, C, Lake Erie (AHL)Duncan Siemens, D, Lake Erie (AHL)Chris Bigras, D, Owen Sound (OHL)Calvin Pickard, G, Lake Erie (AHL)Michael Sgarbossa, C, Lake Erie (AHL) Others of Interest: PA Parenteau, Ryan Wilson, Nick Holden, Nate Guenin, Stefan Elliott. No-Trade Clauses: Alex Tanguay (modified). The Plan: Its been a great turnaround season for the Avs, but if they are seriously going to compete with the best in the West, they could really use a top-tier defenceman, which is never easy to acquire, let alone trying to do it in-season. RW PA Parenteau has found his name in trade rumours recently, and he could be used to help upgrade the blueline. With rookie Nathan MacKinnon emerging to take on a bigger role offensively, the Avalanche appear to have enough weapons that they could deal from that position of relative strength in order to bolster a blueline that lacks established talent behind workhorses Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda. Of course, with news that winger Alex Tanguay is done for the season, maybe the Avs would be better off holding Parenteau for the stretch run. DALLAS STARS UFA in 2014: Ray Whitney, Vernon Fiddler, Stephane Robidas. RFA in 2014: Antoine Roussel, Cody Eakin, Brenden Dillon. Top Prospects: Jamie Oleksiak, D, Texas (AHL)Brett Ritchie, RW, Texas (AHL)Devin Shore, C, Maine (HE)Jason Dickinson, LW, Guelph (OHL)Radek Faksa, C, Sudbury (OHL) Others of Interest: Alex Chiasson, Sergei Gonchar, Aaron Rome, Matej Stransky, Patrik Nemeth, Jack Campbell. No-Trade Clauses: Shawn Horcoff (modified), Ray Whitney (modified), Erik Cole, Rich Peverley (modified), Alex Goligoski (limited), Stephane Robidas, Trevor Daley (limited), Kari Lehtonen. The Plan: Hanging around the playoff race, the Stars could still consider sending out a couple of older veterans in order to build for the long-term. In the short-term, getting some more scoring help up front would be nice and, ideally another defenceman would offer some insurance in case Stephane Robidas doesnt recover soon enough from a broken leg to help a playoff push. The Stars may be stuck in between being buyers and sellers, which could open up opportunities to do a bit of both. Its a new opportunity for first-time general manager Jim Nill and it will be interesting to see how he approaches the trading game. EDMONTON OILERS UFA in 2014: Ales Hemsky, Ryan Smyth, Ryan Jones, Ben Eager, Nick Schultz, Mark Fraser, Anton Belov, Denis Grebeshkov, Ilya Bryzgalov, Ben Scrivens. RFA in 2014: Luke Gazdic, Jeff Petry, Philip Larsen, Justin Schultz. Top Prospects: Darnell Nurse, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)Oscar Klefbom, D, Oklahoma City (AHL)Anton Lander, C, Oklahoma City (AHL)David Musil, D, Oklahoma City (AHL)Martin Gernat, D, Oklahoma City (AHL) Others of Interest: Sam Gagner, Jesse Joensuu, Martin Marincin, Roman Horak, Mitch Moroz, Taylor Fedun. No-Trade Clauses: Andrew Ference. The Plan: It seems fait accompli that the Oilers will finally deal RW Ales Hemsky and, given his strong play in the Olympics, they may want to up the asking price because more than a few contending teams ought to be interested in adding Hemskys offensive creativity. Otherwise, anything that could provide long-term value on the back end -- ideally a top pair defenceman -- remains a worthwhile objective, if not necessarily an easy acquisition. The emergence of rookie D Martin Marincin and the possibility of adding top prospect Darnell Nurse next season provides some promise, but if the Oilers are going to take advantage of the prime years for their skilled young forwards, they need defence that can handle the tough minutes ASAP. Sam Gagners name has popped up as potential trade bait, but Edmontons first-round pick this year could be the difference-maker, either at the deadline or at the draft, if they increase their efforts to land a top-pair defenceman. LOS ANGELES KINGS UFA in 2014: Trevor Lewis, Colin Fraser, Willie Mitchell, Matt Greene, Jeff Schultz. RFA in 2014: Dwight King, Matt Frattin. Top Prospects:Tyler Toffoli, RW, Manchester (AHL)Derek Forbort, D, Manchester (AHL)Tanner Pearson, LW, Manchester (AHL)Linden Vey, C, Manchester (AHL)Nick Shore, C, Manchester (AHL) Others of Interest: Jarret Stoll, Kyle Clifford, Jordan Nolan, Robyn Regehr, Alec Martinez, Nikolay Prokhorkin, Valentin Zykov, Jonny Brodzinski. No-Trade Clauses: None. The Plan: While Los Angeles remains a dominant puck possession team, they need goals. Everything else about the Kings wear-em-down style of play can work in the playoffs, but they need more offensive production to provide a little wiggle room. Prospect Tyler Toffoli can be one improvement in that respect, and he was playing a significant role prior to the Olympic break, but if the Kings are going to challenge for the Stanley Cup, they can dip into a pool of young guys on the way up, move one or two, along with picks, to land a premier finisher. Whether that means Thomas Vanek, or former Kings Matt Moulson or Mike Cammalleri, there are some options out there that should help alleviate the Kings recent offensive woes. MINNESOTA WILD UFA in 2014: Dany Heatley, Mike Rupp, Clayton Stoner, Nate Prosser. RFA in 2014: Nino Niederreiter, Jason Zucker, Justin Fontaine, Darcy Kuemper. Top Prospects: Mathew Dumba, D, Portland (WHL)Erik Haula, LW, Iowa (AHL)Mario Lucia, RW, Notre Dame (HE)Brett Bulmer, LW, Iowa (AHL)Zack Phillips, C, Iowa (AHL) Others of Interest: Kyle Brodziak, Torrey Mitchell, Marco Scandella. No-Trade Clauses: Zach Parise, Dany Heatley, Mikko Koivu, Jason Pominville (modified), Matt cooke (modified), Ryan Suter, Keith Ballard (modified). The Plan: The Wild are hanging in playoff position, though as long as they are without C Mikko Koivu and G Josh Harding that hold on a playoff spot could be tenuous. Rookie G Darcy Kuemper has played well but, if Harding isnt back, are the Wild prepared to head into the playoffs with Kuemper and underperforming veteran Niklas Backstrom between the pipes? Additionally, and perhaps as companion to the idea of questionable options in goal, the Wild could improve their defence corps. Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon take on big minutes and Marco Scandella has played well too, but if an established top-four defenceman is available, the Wild should be interested. NASHVILLE PREDATORS UFA in 2014: David Legwand, Devan Dubnyk, Carter Hutton. RFA in 2014: Nick Spaling, Michael Del Zotto, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis. Top Prospects: Filip Forsberg, LW, Milwaukee (AHL)Miikka Salomaki, LW, Milwaukee (AHL)Taylor Beck, RW, Milwaukee (AHL)Pontus Aberg, LW, Farjestads (SEL)Austin Watson, C, Milwaukee (AHL) Others of Interest: Matt Cullen, Victor Bartley, Jimmy Vesey, Brendan Leipsic, Colton Sissons. No-Trade Clauses: David Legwand, Patric Hornqvist (modified), Mike Fisher, Paul Gaustad (modified), Viktor Stalberg (modified), Eric Nystrom (modified), Pekka Rinne (modified). The Plan: Though they are in last place in the Central, the Predators are but four points out of a crossover playoff spot. There are too many teams in the mix to go all-in on playoff pursuit, but the gap is close enough to not throw in the towel completely (especially if G Pekka Rinne can get healthy enough to play a part in the stretch drive). Nashville has a terrific nucleus on defence, but need to upgrade their forward talent and its not necessarily easy to land young forwards with scoring potential, but the Predators did it last season when they picked up Filip Forsberg from Washington. At the same time, long-time Predators C David Legwand, who has a no-trade clause, figures to be an attractive commodity for contending teams that might want a second or third-line centre that can play both ends of the rink. PHOENIX COYOTES UFA in 2014: Radim Vrbata, David Moss, Paul Bissonnette, Jeff Halpern, Tim Kennedy, Derek Morris, Rostislav Klesla, Thomas Greiss. RFA in 2014: Jordan Szwarz. Top Prospects: Connor Murphy, D, Portland (AHL)Max Domi, C, London (OHL)Brandon Gormley, D, Portland (AHL)Henrik Samuelsson, C, Edmonton (WHL)Lucas Lessio, LW, Portland (AHL) Others of Interest: Keith Yandle, Michael Stone, David Rundblad, Tobias Rieder, Chris Brown. No-Trade Clauses: Mike Ribeiro (modified), Shane Doan, David Moss (modified), Zbynek Michalek (limited), Derek Morris (limited), Mike Smith. The Plan: Since the Coyotes are currently in a playoff spot, they probably have to look at adding something before the deadline, a scorer most likely, though they dont appear to be ready to match the teams at the top of the conference. But, this is also a team with new ownership and new owners tend to be more aggressive when it comes time to make decisions on player acquisition -- make a move, let em know youre there! Even if it means targeting second-tier additions, thats still the wise approach for a Coyotes club that has made its business around finding value year after year. ST. LOUIS BLUES UFA in 2014: Derek Roy, Brenden Morrow, Carlo Colaiacovo, Jaroslav Halak, Brian Elliott. RFA in 2014: Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Jaden Schwartz. Top Prospects:Dmitrij Jaskin, RW, Chicago (AHL)Ty Rattie, RW, Chicago (AHL)Thomas Vannelli, D, Medicine Hat (WHL)Jordan Schmaltz, D, North Dakota (WCHA)Jake Allen, G, Chicago (AHL) Others of Interest: Chris Stewart, Magnus Paajarvi, Ian Cole, Jani Hakanpaa. No-Trade Clauses: David Backes, Brenden Morrow, Jay Bouwmeester, Alex Pietrangelo, Barret Jackman, Jordan Leopold (modified). The Plan: The Blues could probably contend for the Cup with the roster as is, but if St. Louis is indeed that close, why not upgrade? Are they satisfied with their goaltending? Could they add another forward? Surely, if youre in the championship discussion, those are additions that have to be considered. Last seasons leading scorer, RW Chris Stewart, has been mentioned in trade talks and it makes some sense, considering his reduced role this season, its not easy to make big changes to a team that has the leagues best points percentage and goal differential. SAN JOSE SHARKS UFA in 2014: Mike Brown, Bracken Kearns, John McCarthy, Dan Boyle, Scott Hannan. RFA in 2014: James Sheppard, Tommy Wingels, Jason Demers, Alex Stalock. Top Prospects: Mirco Mueller, D, Everett (WHL)Chris Tierney, C, London (OHL)Matt Tennyson, D, Worcester (AHL)Freddie Hamilton, RW, Worcester (AHL)Daniil Tarasov, RW, Worcester (AHL) Others of Interest: Tyler Kennedy, Adam Burish, Matt Nieto, Justin Braun, Matt Irwin, Dylan DeMelo, Konrad Abeltshauser. No-Trade Clauses: Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Brent Burns (modified), Martin Havlat, Dan Boyle (modified), Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brad Stuart (limited). The Plan: A contending team that hasnt been quite the same once injuries hit, so their forward group could use some help, whether thats coming from Martin Havlat, a returning Raffi Torres or a new acquisition. A skilled winger, to effectively make up for the loss of Tomas Hertl, would be ideal. The Sharks seemingly could always use help on the blueline, where longtime standout Dan Boyle has declined and there arent any real stars. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is as reliable as they come and Jason Demers, Matt Irwin and Justin Braun have improved, but an upgrade wouldnt hurt the cause. VANCOUVER CANUCKS UFA in 2014: Mike Santorelli, Raphael Diaz, Andrew Alberts. RFA in 2014: Zack Kassian, Jordan Schroeder, Zac Dalpe, Chris Tanev, Yannick Weber. Top Prospects: Bo Horvat, C, London (OHL)Brendan Gaunce, C, Erie (OHL)Hunter Shinkaruk, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)Nicklas Jensen, RW, Utica (AHL)Frank Corrado, D, Utica (AHL) Others of Interest: David Booth, Jannik Hansen, Cole Cassels. No-Trade Clauses: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Chris Higgins (limited), Alexander Edler, Kevin Bieksa, Jason Garrison, Dan Hamhuis, Roberto Luongo. The Plan: Careening over a cliff before the break, the Canucks went from solidly in the playoffs to the outside looking in and have several injuries to deal with. If number one C Henrik Sedin isnt healthy soon -- and he was unable to play in the Olympics -- the nthe Canucks might as well start selling because they could use offensive upgrades even with a healthy roster. Minus Sedin, that would be a pointless exercise. Should the Canucks become sellers, perhaps their most attractive asset to trade would be a legitimate top four defenceman, though the quartet of Kevin Bieksa, Alexander Edler, Jason Garrison and Dan Hamhuis all have no-trade contracts. WINNIPEG JETS UFA in 2014: Olli Jokinen, Devin Setoguchi, Chris Thorburn, Mark Stuart, Adam Pardy, Al Montoya. RFA in 2014: Michael Frolik, Matt Halischuk, James Wright, Keaton Ellerby. Top Prospects: Josh Morrissey, D, Prince Albert (WHL)Nicolas Petan, C, Portland (WHL)Adam Lowry, LW, St. Johns (AHL)Scott Kosmachuk, RW, Guelph (OHL)Eric Comrie, G, Tri-City (WHL) Others of Interest: Evander Kane, Ondrej Pavelec, Eric ODell, Brenden Kichton, Connor Hellebuyck. No-Trade Clauses: Blake Wheeler (modified), Bryan Little (limited), Olli Jokinen (modified), Andrew Ladd (modified), Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien (modified), Zach Bogosian. The Plan: On the edge of the playoff race, the Jets might be a legitimate playoff team with improved goaltending, but if they remain committed to Ondrej Pavelec as their starter for the rest of the year, they ought to move out some of their non-essential veterans, including Olli Jokinen and Devin Setoguchi. If the Jets are of the mind to go for a blockbuster, and that doesnt seem likely given better results under new coach Paul Maurice, there are often rumours about the availability of LW Evander Kane or RW/D Dustin Byfuglien, both of whom would have many suitors, if made available. * - Contract information comes from the outstanding www.capgeek.com. Check out their trade machine here. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Danilo Jersey . -- Canadas Nicole Vandermade won the Four Winds Invitational on Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory. Fred Brazil Jersey . The club says Fridays surgery was successful. Holiday, a former Eastern Conference All-Star acquired from Philadelphia last summer, has not played because of the shin injury since Jan. http://www.soccerbrazilonline.com/Ederso...America-Jersey/. Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. Renato Augusto Brazil Jersey . The whole deflation of New England Patriots footballs is like a murder mystery without the violence or significance. On one side, this is a ridiculous issue. Neymar Jr Brazil Jersey .5 million. The 25-year-old Varlamov is thriving under first-year coach and Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, posting a 26-9-5 record with a 2.DALY CITY, Calif. - After a whirlwind week featuring a multitude of celebrations that included her first LPGA Tour victory as a pro, Lydia Ko planned to sleep late Monday before catching a San Francisco cable car for a little bit of sightseeing. What a successful, memorable trip she had to the Bay Area. Ko turned 17 and had "Happy Birthday" sung to her at the first tee box to kick off the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, earned a spot as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine, and captured her first LPGA Tour title as a professional — all while playing with a fill-in caddie from the local club. "Normally they would say sweet 16, but I would say its sweet 17," Ko said. "I dont think I could have any better birthday week." Poised and unflappable, Ko made the perfect pitch up to the green from the rough to birdie the final hole Sunday, holding off Stacy Lewis and Jenny Shin for her third LPGA win in all. It went down to the final shots, and the teen made a 6-foot birdie putt moments before Lewis knocked in a 4-footer of her own to finish one stroke back. After beginning the day a stroke behind Lewis, Ko birdied three of her final four holes on the front nine on the way to a 3-under 69 and 12-under 276 total at Lake Merced. Ko earned $270,000, celebrating on the 18th green three days after celebrating her birthday at the first tee box with the gallery singing "Happy Birthday." Ko, born in South Korea and raised in New Zealand, will move up two spots to No. 2 in the next world ranking. Her father, G.H., got to see her win Sunday. "Tears nearly ran down my face. You may lose friends, but youre always going to have your parents," Ko said. "I try to make myself not cry of happiness, but it was coming to that point." She won the Canadian Womens Open as an amateur the last two years and took the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in December in Taiwan in her second start as a professional. She has six victories in pro events, also winning in Australia and New Zealand. All three of Kos LPGA wins have come on courses most of the other golfers also played for the first time. The third-ranked Lewis finished with a 71 for her sixth runner-up finish since winning the Womens British Open in August. She will head to her home state of Texas next week loooking to build on a disappointing near miss in which she struggled all day with her short game.dddddddddddd "I knew she wasnt going away. Lydia played great," Lewis said. "Every time I hit a shot in there, she answered." Shin, still looking for her first tour win after her best finish this year, had a 68 to finish two shots behind. "They were fearless," Shin said about her playing partners, "They just went for it." Playing together for the fourth straight day, neither Ko nor Lewis hit any dazzling shots early. Kos second of three bogeys came on the 417-yard, par-4 seventh in which her tee shot hit a tree and dropped in the rough. Lewis 10-foot birdie putt on No. 9 lipped out. Ko pulled into a first-place tie at 10 under as they made the turn on a picture-perfect spring day, then took the lead with a birdie on No. 13. Lewis went in the bunker, missed the green and two-putted for bogey to fall two back. "The front nine, I did everything I wanted to do, the putts just didnt go in," Lewis said. "I expected her to do exactly what she did today. ... She hit every shot she needed to make from 13 on in." There were two holes-in-one Sunday: Jimin Kang on the 164-yard third and Dewi Claire Schreefel with a 7-iron on the 157-yard 12th hole that earned her a $100,000 prize from China Trust Bank. The weather held for the final day after fog and rain delays earlier in the tournament. This event was the LPGAs first in the Bay Area since the 2010 CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge at Blackhawk in Danville. Organizers and club officials are optimistic about keeping the tournament at Lake Merced. Donna Lowe, Lake Merced general manager, hopes an announcement would come within a month to begin planning for 2015. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has spoken with Swinging Skirts Chairman Johnson Wang, while Lowe has received positive feedback from LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan, players and their caddies. "So far, its just been amazing and very positive and uplifting," Lowe said of the feedback. DIVOTS: Michelle Wie, who won last week in her home state of Hawaii, tied for ninth at 2 under. Second-ranked Suzann Pettersen shot a 70 to finish at 3 over in her first event since last month after missing three tournaments with a back injury. Top-ranked Inbee Park tied for fourth at 6 under. ' ' '
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Defending champion Spain and stars Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta will train in the Washington, D.C., area next week. England and Wayne Rooney arrive Sunday for a week of workouts in Miami. Ivory Coast and Didier Drogba have games in St. Louis and Texas. But instead of preparing for the World Cup against top teams and global stars, the United States arranged a sendoff series against No. 85 Azerbaijan, No. 39 Turkey and No. 44 Nigeria. Not that U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann didnt try to schedule tougher opponents. "Youre trying to find the best teams that suit you. Its not that easy anymore," he said leading to Sundays exhibition against the Turks at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. When the U.S. contacted high-profile teams, Klinsmann said they backed off. "Has to do a little bit with our results of the last two years," he added. Since Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley in July 2011, the U.S. beat Italy for the first time in 11 games over 78 years, defeated Mexico in Mexico for the first time in 75 years and qualified for its seventh straight World Cup. Klinsmann chose Stanford University for a two-week training camp that opened May 14, and the Americans started their prep schedule Tuesday with a 2-0 win over the Azerbaijanis — coached by Berti Vogts, a special adviser to Klinsmann. The American defence and goalkeeper Tim Howard were hardly tested, and the U.S. offence seemed to be slowed by heavy legs following a physically demanding training camp. "Now the teams start progressively getting harder," defender Omar Gonzalez said. "I think its a great three games for us, and its just an opportunity for us to shore things up, to gain a little bit of confidence." Turkey hasnt appeared at the World Cup since 2002, when the Crescent-Stars finished third after losing to eventual champion Brazil 1-0 in the semifinals, then lost to Germany in the semis of the 2008 European Championship. The Turks finished fourth in their qualifying group for this World Cup, behind the Netherlands, Romania and Hungary. Preparing for the start of 2016 European Championship qualifying, Turkey won 2-1 at Ireland last weekend on goals by Ahmet Ilhan Ozek and Tarik Camdal, then beat World Cup-bound Honduras 2-0 Thursday at Washingtons RFK Stadium when Mevlut Erdinc scored in the 70th minute and set up Caner Erkins goal on a counterattack in the 83rd. "Turkey is an unpredictable team. Its a team that has a lot of individual skills and they are good players that can make a difference in half a second," Klinsmann said. "We need games that really keep us on our toes. We need games that especially for our back line ... that challenges them not to lose focus and concentration, not even for one moment in our game. Otherwise you get punished, and that costs you badly." Four years ago, the U.S. rallied to beat the Turks 2-1 in Philadelphia, getting second-half goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey in the Americans final game before they headed to the World Cup in South Africa. The Turks have been without Atletico Madrid midfielder Arda Turan, who missed last weekends Champions League final against Real Madrid because of a sore hip, but Borussia Dortmunds Nuri Sahin is on the roster. After this, the only pre-World Cup exhibition left for the Americans is on June 7 against Nigeria at Jacksonville, Florida. Thats followed by a scrimmage in Sao Paulo against Belgium on June 12. One question is whether Klinsmann changes his back four of right back Fabian Johnson, central defenders Geoff Cameron and Matt Besler and left back DaMarcus Beasley. "Were not worried about the results," Klinsmann said. "Even if we would have a negative result in these preparation games, we would take it the right way." Custom Toronto Raptors Jerseys . -- Arizona came out of its last meeting with California a bit discombobulated, hurting from its first loss and the loss of forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season. Norman Powell Raptors Jersey . Coverage on TSN is underway now while action resumes on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. TSN GO also offers TSN subscribers bonus online coverage, with live streams of all four venues. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authenti...Mcgrady-Jersey/. Picard had a goal and two assists to help Canada improve to 2-0 at the tournament. Seven different players scored for the two-time defending champions. "Today all four lines played excellent," said head coach Laura Schuler. Marc Gasol Jersey . - The Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dennis Pitta reached agreement on a five-year contract Friday. OG Anunoby Raptors Jersey .com) - Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was named the National League Player of the Month for April.LONDON - The IOC shot down a suggestion by a Saudi Arabian official Tuesday that the ultraconservative nation could seek to co-host the Olympics with neighbouring Bahrain by having male and female athletes compete in separate countries.Prince Fahad bin Jalawi Al Saud, an international relations consultant to the president of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, told a French Olympic website that resolutions passed by the IOC last month open the door for a possible joint bid with mens events on Saudi territory and womens competitions in Bahrain.But IOC President Thomas Bach quickly dismissed the idea in a statement to The Associated Press, saying Saudi Arabia would be ineligible to bid for the Olympics unless it complies with rules barring discrimination against women in sports.A commitment to non-discrimination will be mandatory for all countries hoping to bid for the Olympics in the future, Bach said. This was made very clear in the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms and will even be in the host city contract.If this is not applied, the bid would not be admissible. Countries like Saudi Arabia must really work to allow female athletes to freely participate.Saudi women are largely unable to access sports, including in public schools where physical education is not on the curriculum for girls. The Gulf country sent two women to the Olympics for the first time at the 2012 London Games. However, the Saudis sent a male-only team to last years Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.Fahad said in an interview with the Francs Jeux website published Monday that a Saudi-Bahrain joint candidacy would be allowed under the Olympic Agenda 2020 reform package approved by the IOC in Monaco.The changes opened the door to holding events outside a host city or country, as well as possible joint bids by cities, neighbouring countries or regions, but only in exceptional cases.Yoou cannot simply outsource certain issues to another territory, IOC spokesman Mark Adams told the AP on Tuesday when asked about the Saudi suggestion.ddddddddddddFemale access to exercise is shunned by hard-line religious clerics in Saudi Arabia, who warn it could blur gender lines and expose women to licentiousness. Women often struggle to find facilities to train, and are not allowed to attend matches in stadiums. A Saudi female was detained for days last year for sneaking into a stadium in the kingdom to watch a football match.Fahad acknowledged Saudi Arabia faces certain cultural constraints, especially involving women.Our society can be very conservative, he said in the Francs Jeux interview. It has a hard time accepting that women can compete in sports, especially in swimming. Wearing sports clothing in public is not really allowed. For these cultural reasons, it is difficult to bid for certain big international events.But Fahad maintained that bidding for the Olympics with another Middle Eastern country was now a possibility.We could envisage it with Bahrain, he said. We have always had a form of co-operation with that country. Since the vote on Agenda 2020, we could envisage a joint bid. Bahrain would hold the womens events, we would hold the mens competitions.Bach travelled to Riyadh last year and urged the Saudis to increase the participation of female athletes in the Olympics. Saudi Arabia hopes to at next years Olympics in Rio de Janeiro by introducing better training, particularly at the university level, the IOC said at the time.Saudi Arabia currently has no full IOC member.Prince Nawaf Faisal Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz stepped down last July as president of the Saudi Olympic Committee and relinquished his IOC membership. He serves as an honorary IOC member.___Follow Stephen Wilson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stevewilsonap ' ' '
CHICAGO -- Danny Duffy couldnt help but think about his last start at U.S. Cellular Field. The Kansas City Royals left-hander matched a career high with nine strikeouts and scattered five hits over seven-plus shutout innings in a 9-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. His previous outing in Chicago didnt go well at all. Duffy injured his elbow in the first inning on May 13, 2012. Soon after he had Tommy John surgery and missed about a year. "Ive been waiting to come back here for a long time," Duffy said. "Its just nice to come out and do my job in this city and in this setting." The victory was the sixth straight for the Royals while the White Sox dropped their ninth in 10 games against Kansas City. Royals manager Ned Yost said there was a lot to like about Duffys complete effort. "For four innings he was really efficient, he really kept his pitch count down," Yost said. "He had everything working: his fastball, his breaking ball, had a good changeup and had a really, really good defence behind him." Mike Moustakas homered among his three hits as the Royals won their second straight in this weekend series. The Royals scored five times in the fourth -- four with none out -- to chase Chicago starter Hector Noesi (2-5). Noesi allowed five runs -- two earned -- and eight hits while walking one and striking out four. "To be able to put five runs on the board was big," Yost said. "Weve and a couple of big innings the last week or 10 days. Early in the year we get something going we get one or two out of it. Now that were swinging the bats better were getting four or five." Duffy last struck out nine on June 19, 2011, at St. Louis. Hes now 2-0 against Chicago. Duffy departed in the eighth inning after a leadoff single by Adam Eaton. White Sox designated hitter Paul Konerko spoiled the shutout with a homer off Michael Mariot to open the ninth. Two runs scored in the five-run fourth when third baseman Leury Garcia bobbled Lorenzo Cains grounder for an error. Moustakas then singled to shallow centre for another run. Alcides Escobars base hit extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games and loaded the bases for the second time in the inning. The Royals fourth run came on Nori Aokis double-play grounder. Omar Infante lined a two-out single to left, driving in Moustakas for a 5-0 lead. Noesi was chased in favour of right-hander reliever Javy Guerra with two outs in the fourth. "Hector, hes been good for us and hes always given us a chance, but we have to help him out on occasion," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "If were not helping him on defence, its going to make a difference. Thats a recipe to lose a game in a hurry." Moustakas homer in the eighth inning was his sixth of the season. He finished with two RBIs and two runs scored. Eric Hosmer had an RBI double to left to start a three-run ninth. Butlers one-out homer to right made it 9-0. Despite giving up an eighth inning single to Eaton, Duffys shutout was preserved after Eaton was thrown out at home on a throw by Aoki in a play overturned following a review. NOTES: Escobar was in Saturdays lineup despite having cramps and leaving Fridays game after extending his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games with a ninth inning double. . Kansas City has scored first in each game of its current six-game winning streak. . Royals right-hander James Shields (7-3, 3.44 ERA) makes his 15th start of the season in Sundays series finale against White Sox right-hander Andre Rienzo (4-3, 5.25 ERA), making his 11th start. . After going 63-99 in 2013, Ventura is pleased to have his team in contention this year, but he wont project beyond Saturday. "Were not going to look that far down the road," he said. "Were better off focusing on what were doing today." Antonio Brown Youth Jersey . -- Masahiro Tanaka knows that first appearance in a spring training game for the New York Yankees will be scrutinized. Hines Ward Steelers Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Greg-Lloyd-Elite-Jersey/. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (5) - Simply put, Lundqvist was brilliant. Joe Greene Youth Jersey . The match, billed as a "next-gen" encounter between two of the sports rising stars, lasted two and a half hours. The loss kept Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., from reaching a third fourth-round spot in Melbourne over the past four years. Troy Polamalu Steelers Jersey . Five straight losses (and six in the past seven) now dot the schedule – matching their longest skid of the year – after they fell again in New Jersey on Sunday night, topped 3-2 by Cory Schneider and the Devils.After an inpressive four-game home-and-home sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to town tonight for the start of a four-game weekend set. The Blue Jays send Dustin McGowan amid rumors that hes battling to maintain starting status, though the teams general manager denied that hes in jeopardy of demotion. "I never understood the whole McGowan watch," Alex Anthopoulos said. "I kept hearing every start is for his job. I dont know that weve ever said it. Its been three starts in a row, every start is for his job. I just dont know that ever came from the organization." He was a 7-2 winner in his most recent outing at Pittsburgh on Sunday and has given up just three earned runs in his last 13 innings of work. "Hes definitely shown me something," Gibbons said. McGowan is 1-4 with a 3.86 ERA in five meetings with the Angels. On Thursday in Toronto, Edwin Encarnacion belted two home runs and drove in three to lead the Blue Jays to a 12-6 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies and sweep of a four-game set. Juan Francisco went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and three runs scored and Adam Lind, fresh off the 15-day disabled list, had a two-run blast and three RBI for Toronto, which outscored the Phillies, 31-11, in the series. Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey (3-3) worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, while fanning eight. Toronto enters with an average of seven runs scored -- including 13 home runs --- in eight games in May.dddddddddddd "We are some kind of hot right now," manager John Gibbons said. "You put us in this ballpark, its a home run heaven here. Its tough to pitch to. Everyone is feeding off each other." Right-hander Garrett Richards will continue his prolonged audition for a spot in the Angels starting rotation tonight. Richards was a part-time starter and reliever heading into this season, but hes been strong beginning games thus far in 2014 while holding opposition batters to a paltry .184 average and striking out 40 in 38 innings. He was a 5-3 winner in his most recent outing on Saturday, when he held Texas to three runs in six innings and struck out nine. He started twice against Toronto in the late stages of the 2013 season and won both assignments while allowing a combined five runs in 13 2/3 innings. On Wednesday in Anaheim, Derek Jeter hit his first homer of the season, Vidal Nuno tossed 6 1/3 solid innings and the New York Yankees beat the Angels, 9-2, in the rubber match of a three-game series. C.J. Cron went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Angels, who saw starter Hector Santiago (0-6) give up six runs -- two earned -- on five hits with three walks over 2 1/3 innings. "Hector wasnt able to minimize damage tonight," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Hes an emotional guy and he needs to get his confidence back." The Angels went 6-1 last season versus the Blue Jays, sweeping a three-game set in Toronto. ' ' '
Early Tuesday morning, Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch, accompanied by his lawyer, surrendered himself to Drug Enforcement Administration agents as part of charges related to a doping distribution ring. The DEA also arrested nine other people including Yuri Sucart, Alex Rodriguezs cousin. Not all those arrested are connected to Biogenesis; four people were associated with at least one other operation. According to reports, Bosch will plead guilty to a conspiracy to distribute the anabolic steroid testosterone and could face up to 10 years in prison. And that is good news for Alex Rodriguez. Why you ask? If Bosch had refused to cooperate with authorities, prosecutors could have forced A-Rod to testify under oath. At that moment, the suspended Yankee would have been forced to come clean on his dealings with Bosch or lie under oath so as to preserve his story that he never took PEDs between 2010 and 2012 (this assumes that Bosch did indeed supply A-Rod with PEDs). Knowingly lying under oath is called perjury and its a serious crime that can include prison time. Just ask Marion Jones, who spent six months in jail for lying under oath. With Bosch cooperating with authorities, it seems unlikely that A-Rod would be called as a witness. So he may have dodged an enhanced bullet. But wait – there is the case of A-Rods cousin Yuri Sucart. Sucart is reportedly facing five counts of distributing the anabolic steroid testosterone, and each count carries with it up to 10 years in prison. Federal authorities believe Sucart helped recruit MLB players to Biogenesis (including A-Rod), while also assisting in the operation of an unlawful PED distribution ring to teenagers in the Dominican Republic. So once again, A-Rod is facing the risk of being called as a witness. If his cousin fails to cooperate with authorities, we could see A-Rod compelled to testify under oath. There were also five other individuals arrested that have a connection to Biogenesis. So in theory, there may still be additional opportunities to compel A-Rods testimony. As for A-Rod and other MLB players like Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz and Ryan Braun facing arrests of their own, that seems very unlikely. Typically, prosecutors go after the distributors and not the users. So Rodriguez is not going to find himself arrested for using PEDs. That being said, A-Rod is not out of the PED woods just yet. Still some track to cover. Leo Komarov Islanders Jersey . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion. Johnny Boychuk Islanders Jersey . Three pitches later, he was hugging Mike Napoli at home plate after his teammates winning home run. Napoli and Ortiz hit consecutive homers with one out in the 10th inning and the Boston Red Sox rallied past Minnesota 2-1 Wednesday, sending the Twins to their fifth straight loss. http://www.islanderssale.com/authentic-a...landers-jersey/. Nick Young scored 17 points for Los Angeles, which lost five of its last seven before trouncing the Pelicans, who beat them handily last week in New Orleans. Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry scored 15 points apiece for the Lakers, who led by 20 points in the first half before coasting to their 12th win in their last 13 regular-season meetings with New Orleans. Casey Cizikas Jersey . He will play 10th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in Sundays final, after the Spanish left-hander defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 6-4. Billy Smith Jersey . The same for both the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Wisconsin point guard Traevon Jackson suffered a fractured right foot on Sunday and is set to undergo surgery. Jackson was injured during Wisconsins shocking loss to Rutgers, its first in conference play and second of the season. The Badgers were also without preseason All-American Frank Kaminsky because of a concussion for that game, though the 7-footer is expected to be cleared going forward. Jackson was instrumental in Wisconsins run to the Final Four in 2014.dddddddddddd The senior and three-year starter is averaging 9.4 points and 2.9 assists in his final season in Madison. I know my teammates will come together and be stronger because of this, said Jackson. Im looking forward to coming back mentally stronger than ever. The son of former Ohio State star and 14-year NBA wing Jim Jackson will have surgery on Thursday and is expected to begin rehab in 2-to-3 weeks. ' ' '
CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving has been cleared to return to practice after missing eight games with a biceps injury. Irving strained his left biceps on March 16 against the Clippers. He can resume full contact immediately, but the Cavs said his status for important games this week at Orlando and Atlanta has not been determined. Cleveland is 4-4 since its leading scorer was injured. The Cavs, who enter the week just 2 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, will likely ease Irving back into the lineup. Also, an MRI on forward Anderson Varejaos shoulder revealed a sprained AC joint. The 6-foot-11 Varejao will not play Wednesday against the Magic and the team said his status beyond that will be updated later. Trevor Hoffman Padres Jersey . Rookie Christian Vazquez got his first three major league hits and drove in three runs, while David Ortiz had three RBIs to break open the game in the sixth inning and lead Boston over the Houston Astros 8-3. Hunter Renfroe Jersey . And theyre pointing to the NHLs biggest market: Toronto. With Gretzky paid out for what is believed to be $7 to 8 million, Gretzky may be eager to get back into the NHL and TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that the Maple Leafs are very much interested in The Great Ones services. http://www.padressale.com/padres-randy-jones-jersey/. The No. 5 Aztecs held Burton, the Mountain Wests leading scorer, to 11 points, 10 below his average, in beating the Wolf Pack 73-58 on Saturday night. Franchy Cordero Jersey . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Wil Myers Jersey . The second-ranked Jayhawks will play the Miners of Texas-El Paso at Imperial Arena in the Bahamas. The game can be seen live on TSN2 starting at 7pm et/4pm pt.Wanted. CFL coaches. Several openings available. Send your resume to Scott Milanovich c/o Toronto Argonauts. Experience preferred. That may sound a bit extreme, but the Toronto Argonauts coaching staff has been decimated in the off-season. Former defensive coordinator Chris Jones is the new head coach in Edmonton, while former special teams coordinator Mike OShea was named as the Blue Bombers head coach in early December. The main difference between the two? Jones didnt leave on his own. On Tuesday, it was announced that Jones was bringing four members of last years Argo staff with him to Edmonton. Steve McAdoo was Torontos o-line coach for the past four seasons and becomes Edmontons new offensive coordinator. Ed Philions first year coaching in the CFL was last year with the Argos defensive line, the same group hell coach with the Eskies. Two young assistant coaches, Jason Shivers and Craig Davoren leave Ontario to become defensive backs coach and offensive assistant coach respectively. Scott Milanovich replaced Jones with former Winnipeg head coach Tim Burke, but now has a lot of vacancies on the staff. Was he surprised at all with the number of defections? "Not at all," Milanovich told TSN.ca. "I knew a week after the season who was going." The coach says that at some point after the season Eskies GM Ed Hervey called Jim Barker, his Toronto counterpart, and asked for permission. Its an expected part of life on the coaching carousel. "All of the contracts would have been up at the end of the month. I spoke with Chris (Jones) about it. I told him who was and wasnt availabble.dddddddddddd There were no surprises." Perhaps the least shocking move is that McAdoo is heading west. He and Jones coached for three seasons together at Tennessee Tech, four years together with the Montreal Alouettes and the last two campaigns together in Toronto. When Jones left, Burke was hired almost immediately to replace him. It was an easy fit. They had coached together in Montreal, Burke had a ton of experience and had great success as a DC in the league. The OShea replacement hasnt been as easy. "I think (special teams coordinator) is a very difficult position to fill in the CFL" Milanovich explained to TSN.ca "It doesnt get the respect it deserves. I dont think you can go and get an NCAA D-1 or NFL coach and get a successful transition in one year. The return game, the halo, the number of snaps you take on special teams makes it more of a position that needs CFL or CIS experience." The search continues and Milanovich says the club has focsed on several candidates. "I have spoken to maybe four or five" continued the coach. "Ive dug around and asked about six or seven others and have asked other guys for their opinions." Historically the CIS has been snubbed as a breeding ground for CFL coaches, though Mike OShea named long-time Queens DC Pat Tracey as the Bombers special teams coach. Would Milanovich have a problem going that route? "Not for the right guy." Milanovich hopes to have that guy, and the rest of his new staff assembled in the next two to three weeks. He hopes to announce the entire staff at the same time. ' ' '
PITTSBURGH -- The chip is still there, Lance Moore insists, just as weighty and sharp as ever. Eight years in the NFL and a Super Bowl ring have done little to make the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver forget his modest roots. He can still rattle off the name of the players who beat him out for a job with the Cleveland Browns during his first training camp nearly a decade ago even though he was a long-shot undrafted free agent at the time. Most of them are long gone. Not Moore. Hes still around, still trying to prove himself, still nervous he could find himself out of a job at any minute. "I dont know if I ever really let myself get comfortable," Moore said. Even if Moore spent eight productive seasons helping Drew Brees and Sean Payton turn the New Orleans Saints into one of the NFLs most consistent winners. On a team of undersized and underappreciated talent, the 5-foot-9 Moore found a home. He caught 38 touchdown passes in 101 games with New Orleans, morphing from special teams ace to indispensable red zone target. Until, of course, the math got in the way. A hand injury limited Moore to just 37 receptions and two scores in 2013. Knowing he was owed $3.8 million in 2014, Moore wasnt surprised when the Saints cut him loose this spring. "Thats how it goes in this game," Moore said. "A lot of teams are trying to get younger and cheaper at the same time." Moore turns 31 in August. He understands hes well into the second half of an NFL journey that is already longer than he ever anticipated. Yet there is something about the opportunity with the Steelers that intrigues him. Maybe its because playing slot receiver in Pittsburgh is like discovering the NFLs fountain of youth. Hines Ward was effective well into the final days of his 14-year career before retiring in 2012. He was replaced by Jerricho Cotchery, who scored a remarkable 10 touchdowns for the Steelers in 2013 at age 31. Cotchery turned all those scores into a lucrative contract with Carolina. Enter Moore, who lacks Cotcherys size and Wards tenacious blocking skills but makes up for it with what he describes as "football savvy." "Ive been little for a long time," Moore said. "I am not getting any bigger. I am 30 years old. I am happy in this body. I feel like I have made a lot of plays and will continue to do that." Its exactly what the Steelers had in mind when they signed Moore to a two-year deal in March, an agreement that came with more than a little help from backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who spent four years rooming with Moore when the two played at Toledo. Gradkowski started calling Pittsburgh coaches about Moore the second his good friend was released by New Orleans. It didnt take long for something to get done. Moore wasnt about to sit around and wait for a more lucrative offer than the one that will pay him a total of $3 million if he makes it through the 2015 season. "You look at this franchise, what it stands for and you know theyre about winning," Moore said. "You get a chance to play with somebody like (quarterback) Ben (Roethlisberger) and you dont turn it down." It hasnt taken long for Moore to win over Roethlisberger, who called his newest target "a pro" who hasnt needed much time to pick up the nuances of an offence that is reshaping itself, particularly at wide receiver. Pro Bowler Antonio Brown is the units unquestioned leader, but the departure of Cotchery and Emmanuel Sanders a year after Mike Wallace bolted for Miami has spearheaded a youth movement. The list of players jockeying for position with Moore include second-year players Justin Brown and Markus Wheaton and rookie Martavis Bryant. Moore admits its a little weird being the old guy in meeting rooms. Hes nearly five years Browns senior and will be one of only three players in their 30s among Pittsburghs offensive regulars, joining Roethlisberger and tight end Heath Miller. It could be worse. Moore couldnt be here at all. If this is the beginning of the end, hell take it. Hes close to his boyhood home in Ohio on a team expecting to win after a pair of mediocre 8-8 seasons. His new team expects to play a lot like its new wide receiver: with a chip that likely wont go away anytime soon. "Youve got to keep that," Moore said. "In this league, that can make the difference." Matt Milano Youth Jersey . The best round belonged to Pat Perez. Tiger Woods didnt come close to claiming either Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open, where the seven-time champion failed to break par in the opening round for first time in his career. Doug Flutie Youth Jersey . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elit...r-Bills-Jersey/. After missing 20 games as a rookie a year ago, Valanciunas - like the Raptors as a whole - has been fortunate to be in good health this season. As he spoke about it, the Raptors sophomore centre scanned the room for wood to knock on. "It is disappointing because we lost today so thats the worst part of the day," said Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays game with a lower-back sprain in the third quarter, missing the rest of Torontos 118-113 overtime defeat at the hands of the Hawks. Ed Oliver Womens Jersey . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Cody Ford Womens Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive.LA ROCHE-SUR-YON, France -- Gael Monfils completed Frances 5-0 rout of Australia in the first round of the Davis Cup by defeating Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (5), 6-4 Sunday. Monfils dropped serve twice but broke Kyrgios three times, after Julien Benneteau cruised past Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-1 in Sundays first reverse singles match. Benneteau broke Kokkinakis four times and did not face a single break point, hitting 30 winners to 14 for his opponent. France secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the competition wheen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet defeated Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 7-5 in Saturdays doubles to hand the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead.dddddddddddd On Friday, Tsonga eased past Hewitt 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (2), and Gasquet routed Kyrgios 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-2. France will face Germany in the quarterfinals while Australia will compete in the playoffs to stay in the World Group. Despite the defeat, Australia still holds a 10-5 record against France in the competition. ' ' '
NEW YORK -- Its no secret: Bartolo Colon simply sticks with his fastball. He runs it, sinks it, spots it right on the corner or just above the hands. So the Pittsburgh Pirates went into Wednesdays game well aware their mound opponent was relying on that heater some 90 per cent of the time this season. Still, they couldnt do much with it. Colon carried a three-hitter into the eighth inning, and the New York Mets got home runs from David Wright and Lucas Duda in a 5-0 victory over the sloppy Pirates. "Its impressive to watch from third base," Wright said. "You look up at the scoreboard and its high 80s, low 90s (mph) fastball. He throws a lot of them, but he just knows exactly where its going and he just dissects hitters." Pitching four days after his 41st birthday, Colon (4-5) struck out a season-high nine -- seven looking -- in his second consecutive win. Wright added an RBI single during an eventful afternoon in which he also stole a base, made two throwing errors and robbed Andrew McCutchen of extra bases with a diving play near the line. New York salvaged the final two games of a 4-5 homestand after firing batting coach Dave Hudgens and replacing him with minor league hitting co-ordinator Lamar Johnson. "I didnt expect anybody to kind of hang their heads about it," Wright said. "Hopefully, the transition to LJ is going to be a smooth one. Hes off to a good start." The Mets improved to 13-17 at Citi Field, winning the series against Pittsburgh for their first back-to-back victories at home since a three-game streak from April 23-25. They open a season-high 11-game trip Thursday night with a five-game series in Philadelphia and play 25 of their next 33 on the road until July 4. "Weve played pretty good on the road, so were looking forward to it," Duda said. Colon reached 2,000 strikeouts when he caught ex-Met Ike Davis looking in the sixth. The burly right-hander saved the souvenir, tossing the ball to injured ace Matt Harvey in the dugout. "Just amazing how he works both sides of the plate," Wright said. "You just see, he freezes hitters." Colons previous turn Friday was washed out by rain after he yielded two runs in four innings against Arizona. In his last outing that counted, he went eight innings to beat Washington 5-2 on May 17. "He threw it where he wanted and we couldnt put anything together," Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker said. Colon was pulled this time after 121 pitches, his most in a decade, but Jeurys Familia needed only one to get out of the eighth. He got Davis to ground into an inning-ending double play with two on, then finished the six-hitter for his second major league save and first this season. "If they would have kept me in, I would have kept throwing," Colon said through a translator. "I dont get tired. I just want to keep going." Charlie Morton (1-7) was chased in the sixth inning and Pirates pitchers walked eight batters. Pittsburgh fell to 7-16 away from home with another poor day at the plate and in the field. "The defence hasnt been good," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Weve got work to do." Duda drew a leadoff walk in the second and scored after second-string catcher Chris Stewart was unable to handle a pair of wild pitches by Morton. Pirates starter Edinson Volquez and reliever Jeanmar Gomez combined for four wild pitches with Russell Martin behind the plate in Tuesday nights 4-2 loss. "Weve got to tighten some things up and play better," Hurdle said. "They had three trips around the bases in the last two days -- it was one hit." Wright had an RBI single in the third after an embarrassing defensive sequence for the Pirates handed Daniel Murphy a Little League triple. Murphy hit a grounder to third, and Pedro Alvarez threw high to first for an error. Murphy took off for second but the ball caromed hard off the dugout fence to Walker. He threw to second in time to get Murphy, but shortstop Jordy Mercer dropped the ball for another error that let Murphy scamper to third. Pittsburgh appealed that Murphy never touched second base, but he was called safe. "Sometimes he thinks hes invisible, and you have to remind him that, you know, people can see you," Wright said, drawing laughs. Wright opened the sixth with his fourth home run. Duda added a long, two-run shot off Bryan Morris in the eighth to seal the win for Colon. "Bartolos just a different animal," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He just makes his pitch. He doesnt care how many hes thrown." NOTES: Hurdle said reliever Jason Grilli is very close to regaining the closer job. ... Gerrit Cole (4-3) pitches for the Pirates when they begin a four-game series Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. ... After the game, Mets C Juan Centeno was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear roster space for C Travis dArnaud (concussion), who returned from a rehab stint with Double-A Binghamton and is expected to be activated from the disabled list Thursday. ... Familia singled in the eighth for his first big league hit. He became the sixth Mets pitcher to earn a save this season. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Wearing bib No. 1, Maze skied through the gates cleanly to defend her big first-run lead and finish 0.07 seconds ahead of Anna Fenninger of Austria. Defending champion Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany was third, trailing 0. Wholesale Stitched Jerseys . -- DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points, nine rebounds and six steals to lead the Sacramento Kings to their third straight preseason win, a 107-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. https://www.wholesalejerseys2020.com/. - Jayden Hart scored once and set up two more as the Prince Albert Raiders downed the host Red Deer Rebels 5-3 on Tuesday to clinch the final Western Hockey League playoff berth. Wholesale Jerseys Online . The Pope greeted Klose at his general audience Wednesday and the pair had a long chat. Klose is German like the pope, although he was born in Poland. In Sundays derby, Lazio took the lead in the seventh minute after Maarten Stekelenburg brought down Klose, resulting in the Roma goalkeeper being sent off and a penalty that Hernanes converted. Cheap Jerseys 2020 . Moments after his Brooklyn Nets teammates ran out onto the court to congratulate him following their 100-98 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, Johnson could only shake his head at scoring only 13 points on 6-of-19 shooting.As Neil Warnock takes over at Cardiff, we look at why the veteran boss is still in demand. At the age of 67, Neil Warnock is back in work. Championship strugglers Cardiff have turned to the veteran manager in the hope of arresting a slide under previous incumbent Paul Trollope that has left them just one place off the bottom of the table. Warnock has replaced Paul Trollope as Cardiff manager Chris Ramsey worked with Warnock at Queens Park Rangers and sees the sense in the decision to turn to him. Neil brings a wealth of experience and a presence to any football club and his track record speaks for itself, Ramsey told Sky Sports News. Warnock certainly has form for turning situations around, most recently lifting Rotherham out of the Championship drop zone last season. With seven promotions also on the CV, hes capable of much more than that too. Heres a quick rundown of his greatest hits… Warnock appointed Cardiff boss Neil Warnock has been appointed as the new Cardiff manager. ScarboroughNon-league outfit Scarborough were competing in the Alliance Premier League when Warnock was appointed in 1986. The competition was renamed as the Conference with the promise of promotion to the Football League for the winners of the 1986/87 season.Scarboroughs hopes couldnt have been too high having finished 15th in the previous campaign, but Warnock made a swift impact by winning the title and thus ensuring the club became one of the 92 league clubs for the first time in their history. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just £6.99. No contract. Notts CountyWarnock enjoyed perhaps his most spectacular success in his next job at Notts County. Having taken over a team languishing in the third tier in late 1988, he went on to achieve promotion through the play-offs in his first full season in charge.Remarkably, Warnock followed it up with another promotion - again through the play-offs - with the goals of young forward Tommy Johnson propelling the team to the top flight. That proved too much, however, with the team relegated in the following 1991/92 season. Warnock celebrating promotion with Notts County in 1991 Torquay UnitedSacked by Notts County in January 1993, Warnock was left feeling disillusioned by the game but was reinvigorated by an unlikely spell as a consultant at the Football Leagues bottom club. Whats worse, Torquay had endured a run of eight defeats in nine games.Warnock has since admitted it was a gamble to risk having a relegation to the Conference on his CV but masterminded a dramatic turnaround and safety was secured on the penultimate weekend. He recently described it as one of the happiest times of his life. Huddersfield TownHis next job was at Huddersfield in the third tier, and after finishing as runners-up to Swansea in the Football League Trophy in his first season in charge, there was a happier trip to Wembley the following year. In 1994/95, the Terriers were promoted via the play-offs.It was a memorable season given that it was the clubs first at the new Alfred McAlpine Stadium and the goals of young Andy Booth were critical in their promotion. Booth hit 30 goals including the teams first in the 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers at Wembley.Plymouth ArgyleWarnock made the surprise move to quit Huddersfield following promotion too the second tier and soon resumed his managerial career two divisions lower down with Plymouth.dddddddddddd Despite being fresh from relegation, he quickly turned things around.After finishing fourth, Plymouth won promotion via the play-offs by beating Darlington 1-0 in their first match at Wembley. For Warnock, it was the fourth time hed won a league promotion through the play-offs. Sheffield UnitedAfter spells at Oldham and Bury, Warnock was appointed by his boyhood club Sheffield United in 1999. The early years of his reign were marked by impressive cup runs but his sequence of play-off successes came to an end against Wolves in 2003.However, once reunited with long-time assistant Mick Jones in 2005, Warnock took the Blades up to the Premier League as Championship runners-up. They would have stayed there but for a defeat to Wigan coupled with a victory for West Ham on the final day of that 2006/07 campaign.Crystal PalacePalace were 19th in the Championship when Warnock was appointed as Peter Taylors replacement in October 2007. He soon managed to turn things around with some bold decisions - including the introduction of 16-year-old Victor Moses within weeks. Warnocks list of promotions throughout his managerial career The changes had the desired effect with Palace climbing their way up to fifth in the table by the end of the season, earning their place in the play-offs. However, there was the disappointment of extra-time defeat to Bristol City at the semi-final stage.Queens Park RangersWarnocks next fire-fighting mission was at QPR. Despite describing it himself as the perfect time to come in, he arrived to find the team just three points above the Championships relegation zone in March 2010. That fate was avoided with ease.Indeed, QPR stormed to the title the following season with Warnock harnessing the talents of Adel Taarabt as well as boasting by far the best defensive record in the division. He was sacked in January 2012 despite QPR being outside of the Premier League relegation zone. Warnock in May on why he chose not to extend his contract with Rotherham Rotherham UnitedAfter an unsuccessful spell with Leeds, as well as a brief returns to Palace and QPR, Warnock was back to his very best during an extraordinary period at Rotherham. The Millers were in the bottom three when he arrived in February having lost eight of their last 12 games.Warnocks impact was dramatic and Rotherham soon embarked on an improbable 11-game unbeaten run in which they beat top-six sides such as Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough. They eventually finished one place above the drop zone.You can watch Englands tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the Japan Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price! Also See: Warnock appointed Cardiff boss Championship football on Sky ' ' '
Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) - In a game that could be key in determining draft lottery odds between teams at the bottom of their respective conferences, the Edmonton Oilers prevailed over the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, on Thursday. Allowing two goals on 20 shots, Ben Scrivens was not particularly busy in net for Edmonton in its third win in its last four games. Oscar Klefbom and Anton Lander each scored their first goal of the season for the Oilers, and Lander also tallied two assists. Matt Fraser scored Edmontons first goal. Jonas Enroth stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced as Buffalo dropped its 13th game in a row. Defensemen Tyler Myers and Rasmus Ristolainen each scored and Brian Gionta picked up assists on both goals. Trailing 1-0 in the first, Fraser tied the game for the Oilers. He found a soft spot in the defense, and Landers pass from below the goal line set up Frasers one-timer. Just 2 1/2 minutes later, Edmonton went ahead on Klefboms goal. Lander once again set up a one-time opportunity, and Klefbom ripped this one by Enroth for the go-ahead goal. After a scoreless second period, Lander provided a valuable insurance goal. Frasers pass to Teddy Purcell sent the Oilers into the zone on a two-on-zero rush, and Enroth could not make the stop on Landers shot. Ristolainen pulled Buffalo within one just before Enroth could leave the ice for the extra attacker. Scrivens made the initial save on the rush, but Ristolainen crashed the net from the blue line, sending both the puck and Scrivens into the cage. Buffalo only got one shot on goal in the final two minutes and failed to tie the game. Myers got the Sabres on the board just over two minutes into the game. Edmontons defense lost the blueliner sneaking into the top of the circle, and his wrist shot beat Scrivens. Game Notes Edmonton swept the season series but currently has four more points (35) than Buffalo ... The Oilers had not beaten the Sabres in Edmonton since Oct. 16, 2003 ... Buffalos Chris Stewart and Tyler Ennis each lost three-game point streaks ... Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges played in his 600th NHL game ... Edmonton improved to 10-7-1 against Eastern Conference opponents. John Brooks USA Jersey . QUARTERBACKS Carson Palmer (vs Colts)Last week: 30/42, 419 yards, 2 TDsWinners of their last three and now tied for the final wild card spot in the NFC, the Cardinals are worth keeping an eye on. Michael Bradley USA Jersey . -- Mixed martial arts fighter Cristiane Justino Santos has been suspended and fined for testing positive for steroids. http://www.usasoccerauthority.com/omar-gonzalez-usa-jersey/. The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. DaMarcus Beasley Jersey . The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012. Jesse Gonzalez USA Jersey . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario.He gave The Kings a chance to win the game when the score was 88-86 with 4.4 seconds left, but in the end their comeback could not be completed as the Langara Falcons held on to win. Strickland however finished the night wwith 34 points and garnered some buzz south of the border including SIs Extra Mustard, who compared his hot finish to NBA JAM: and created a buzz not just in Canada but south of the border as well.dddddddddddd ' ' '
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Ryan Shazier is ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take the training wheels off on Sunday against Kansas City.The rookie linebacker Shazier has been healthy the last two weeks but has only seen limited playing time, part of a cautious approach after their first-round pick missed seven of the first 12 games due to two separate leg injuries. Shazier was relegated mostly to special teams work in wins over Cincinnati and Atlanta but was productive during limited reps with the defence, making two tackles with one quarterback pressure in just four snaps.I felt pretty good out there, just getting back in the groove with everything, Shazier said Friday. So, Im just waiting for the coaches to give me the opportunity to get in there. And when I get in there, I want to take advantage of it. So, it felt good to be back out there and get my feet back under me.He was told that Steelers defensive co-ordinator Dick LeBeau believed Shazier will have a heavier workload as Pittsburgh (9-5) tries to lock down a playoff berth with a victory against the Chiefs (8-6).Im really excited about that, because its been hard for me this season with the injuries and not playing much the past couple weeks, Shazier said. So Ive been learning a lot from the guys in front of me, and Im doing whatever I can to get better and help this team.While Shaziers impact has been minimal due to a knee injury and subsequent ankle problem, LeBeau praised him.He did a great job on special teams, and wed like for him to get a few more snaps than four, LeBeau said. (But) I think, if you look at the special teams, youll see that he was very active and very effective.The Steelers also expect to get Marcus Gilbert back as the starting right tackle after a high ankle sprain sidelined him the past three weeks. Gilbert practiced successfully this week, but after expecting to play last Sunday only to be made inactive, hes taking a patient approach to this Sunday.Im ready, but I have to take it day by day, Gilbert said. Well see where Im at, but Ive been feeling pretty good and hope things continue to improve. I feel good, but it was the same thing last week. I thought I was ready to go, but the film didnt show that. So, well see where my ankle is by the end of this week, and hopefully Ill be able to play.Notes: SS Troy Polamalu (knee) and CB Taylor (shoulder, forearm) are doubtful for the Kansas City Chiefs game, while TE Matt Spaeth (elbow) is questionable. ... LB James Harrison (knee), FS Mike Mitchell (groin), C Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) and WR Markus Wheaton (illness) are probable.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFLWil Lutz Youth Jersey . The Argentina striker has not played for the Premier League leaders since September when he refused to warm up during a Champions League match and only returned last week from a three-month unauthorized absence at home. City coach Roberto Mancini had initially told Tevez he would never play for City again after his act of public insubordination, but later softened his stance and only asked for an apology. Marcus Williams Saints Jersey . - For years William Gay kept quiet. http://www.shoptheofficialsaints.com/Eli...-Saints-Jersey/. Snedekers best result so far this year is a tie for eighth place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. He sits 113th in FedEx Cup standings and has dropped to 31st in world rankings — not the results expected from a player ranked fourth in the world only two years ago. Bobby Hebert Youth Jersey .com) - Sergio Agueros 63rd-minute goal was enough to lift Manchester City to a 1-0 win over 10-man Manchester United on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. Thomas Morstead Youth Jersey .Y. - OK, it is done.The Boston Bruins got a huge overtime goal from an unlikely source, and the Anaheim Ducks got on the board against the Los Angeles Kings. Notes on Fraser, Murray, Vanek, Carter, Vatanen, Andersen and more. FRASER THE OT HERO FOR BRUINS The Montreal Canadiens had an opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead against the favoured Boston Bruins with Game Four headed to overtime scoreless. Then, Bruins rookie LW Matt Fraser knocked a loose puck into the net to give the Bruins a 1-0 win, tying the series at two games apiece. Fraser, a 24-year-old winger called up to replace demoted winger Justin Florek, had three goals and five points in 27 career NHL games, but has been an effective scorer in the AHL, scoring 90 goals in 179 AHL games over the past three seasons. Fraser, who was acquired from Dallas as part of the Tyler Seguin trade, joined Carl Soderberg and Loui Eriksson on a Bruins third line that dominated play, the trio on the ice for more than 70% of 5-on-5 shot attempts, led by Fraser at 74.1%. Canadiens D P.K. Subban played 22:52, the first time under 26 minutes in this series, yet 1:19 into overtime, when Fraser scored, the Habs had the pairing of Douglas Murray and Mike Weaver on defence and that should have been an indication of trouble. That pairing was obliterated in terms of puck possession, on the ice for four shot attempts for and 20 against. Francis Bouillon wasnt great for Montreal, but hes been more effective than Murray, who has been on ice for 12 shot attempts for and 42 against (22.2 Corsi%) in two games. While were pointing out troubling signs for the Canadiens, RW Thomas Vanek didnt have a single shot attempted in 16:09 of ice time. The only other Canadiens to get zero shot attempts were Daniel Briere, who played a game-low 8:02, and Weaver. Montreals leader in shot attempts was captain Brian Gionta, with eight. Bostons leader, in terms of shot attempts, was D Dougie Hamilton, who had eight in 23:28, his second-highest ice time of the playoffs. If the Canadiens are going to pull off this series upset, they are really going to have to earn it. The series is even even though the Bruins have held the lead for less than four minutes in four games. Thats not to say that tthe Bruins havent been the better team -- theyve controlled more of the play -- but this series was there for the taking and now its a best-of-three with two games in Boston.dddddddddddd DUCKS GET ON THE BOARD The Anaheim Ducks got a late second-period goal from Teemu Selanne, then needed a late third-period marker from Ben Lovejoy to ultimately give them a 3-2 lead in Game Three against the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings now lead the series two games to one. The Kings held a possession edge throughout the game, particularly taking advantage against the Ducks line of Mathieu Perreault, Patrick Maroon and Teemu Selanne, a trio that was on the ice for 22.2% or less of 5-on-5 shot attempts. At the same time, Maroon set up Anaheims first goal, on the power play and, as noted, Selanne scored a crucial go-ahead goal. Anaheim was forced to turn to G Jonas Hiller for the last 9:58 of the third period, as starter Frederik Andersen left with a lower-body injury. Andersen had stopped 22 of 23 shots when he got hurt. Jeff Carter led the Kings with a goal and an assist, four shots on goal and seven shot attempts, though Carter and linemates Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli started more than 80% of their shifts in the offensive zone, so they were tilted in that direction. For the Ducks, it was Ryan Getzlaf, who had an assist, four shots and seven attempts. The Ducks inserted D Sami Vatanen into the lineup, playing the Finnish rookie 20:19; only Francois Beauchemin played more among Anaheim defencemen. Theres a reasonable argument to be made that, although undersized, Vatanen should already be handling regular minutes on the Ducks blueline, rather than toiling in the minors waiting for a call-up when the team is in trouble. After dropping the first two games of the series at home, the Ducks desperately needed to get a positive result in Game Three. It wasnt easy, and they lost their starting goaltender in the process, but their win makes the Freeway Series much more interesting heading towards Game Four. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '